Staff victimization at residential youth care institutions: An incident-based study

Conflicts are part of everyday life at residential youth care institutions, putting staff at risk of workplace victimization. Limited research has examined how these victimizations unfold and their associated risk factors. To explore this, we draw on a sample of 132 conflict incidents, reported by 50 staff members at Danish residential youth care institutions. We describe the types of victimizations, identify the incidents in time and place, and examine risk factors. Overall, the incidents unfold as dispute-related conflicts, often involving multiple staff members exposed to a range of victimization actions, most commonly hits and kicks. The incidents typically emerge in the adolescent’s room or in the indoor common area, but unfold in multiple locations. Our findings underscore that staff victimization incidents and their associated risk factors are intertwined with the everyday routines of the institutions.