Violence at School and the Well-Being of Teachers. The Importance of Positive Relationships

In the discipline of positive psychology, \u201cwell-being\u201d is considered a fundamental aspect of \u201chuman flourishing.\u201d Inherent to this multidimensional model are emotional, psychological, and social forms of well-being, which can be grounded in positive relationships in the work environment. By adopting an interpretive framework that emphasizes these dynamics, researchers are able to focus on elements that actively help sustain the process of flourishing, rather than on negative environmental features that should be avoided if possible. Within this broader discussion, the specific question of teachers\u2019 well-being is one that has global relevance and merits greater academic attention. After all, it has significant consequences for the educational environment and students\u2019 ability to learn. The literature suggests that teachers are increasingly exposed to violence on the part of students and/or their parents. Inappropriate and/or aggressive behavior like this can reduce a teacher\u2019s occupational well-being and make it more difficult to build positive relationships in the classroom. Ultimately, it is one of the most serious work-related stress factors affecting the profession today. Previous studies have attempted to characterize the contexts in which violence occurs, and its negative impact on both the individuals involved and the broader educational climate. Less attention has been devoted to the capacity of teachers to deal with violence and develop a more resilient mindset. The positive psychology perspective focuses on well-being as a multidimensional construct wherein psychosocial and physical comfort does not simply arise provided there is an absence of suffering and violence. Rather, according to this model, such experiences can be counteracted by a capacity to endure and build positive environments. With these considerations in mind, our study presents data gathered in primary and secondary schools in northern Italy. A total 475 teachers completed an online, self-report questionnaire. The results indicate that teachers can experience occupational well-being even if they are subjected to aggressive behaviors. Supportive leadership and good relationships with colleagues may be considered valuable resources for fostering well-being among teachers

Dissatisfaction in Child Welfare and Its Role in Predicting Self-Efficacy and Satisfaction at Work: A Mixed-Method Research

Child welfare organizations are increasingly concerned with challenges emerging from the assessment of social workers\u2019 dissatisfaction. This type of service represents the work area where social workers are at greater risk of burnout. Although several studies account for high social workers\u2019 burnout scores, they do not systematically dwell upon its sources and roots. In addition, scholars point out that a considerable number of work related issues may be perceived both as a source of dissatisfaction and satisfaction. We assume that there is a need to deepen the understanding of how dissatisfaction\u2019s sources may exert an impact on both personal job satisfaction and professional self-efficacy, which are positively associated with well-being at work. The present mixed-method research has two aims: (1) the extensive exploration, applying qualitative methodology, of the perceived sources of dissatisfaction; (2) the attempt to identify the extent to which those sources predict job satisfaction and professional self-efficacy. It is our purpose to further explore which differences emerge by age. The research involved child welfare workers, that is, SWs employed in public child welfare agencies in the North East of Italy. Results show the predominant role of interpersonal trust and mutual respect, as main predictors of both professional self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Practical implications of findings are discussed

Inter-services communication in child welfare: The interplay of age, work-group identification, trust and self efficacy

The present study involves 157 social workers employed in two public child welfare agencies of North-East Italy. Recent approaches (Pedrazza, Berlanda, 2017; Pedrazza, Sartori, Berlanda, 2017) show that social work in child welfare agencies requires communication skills and social competence, such as work-group identification and trust. These studies show that perceived self-efficacy represents an important element of inter-service communication. The aim of our study is to attempt to identify the role of age, work-group identification and trust in predicting social workers' self-efficacy in emotion regulation, procedural self-efficacy, self-efficacy in seeking support, and self-efficacy in professional communication. Assuming the causal relationship between variables, we propose multiple linear regression analysis in order to identify antecedents of self-efficacy

Dissatisfaction in Child Welfare and Its Role in Predicting Self-Efficacy and Satisfaction at Work: A Mixed-Method Research

Child welfare organizations are increasingly concerned with challenges emerging from the assessment of social workers’ dissatisfaction. This type of service represents the work area where social workers are at greater risk of burnout. Although several studies account for high social workers’ burnout scores, they do not systematically dwell upon its sources and roots. In addition, scholars point out that a considerable number of work related issues may be perceived both as a source of dissatisfaction and satisfaction. We assume that there is a need to deepen the understanding of how dissatisfaction’s sources may exert an impact on both personal job satisfaction and professional self-efficacy, which are positively associated with well-being at work. The present mixed-method research has two aims: (1) the extensive exploration, applying qualitative methodology, of the perceived sources of dissatisfaction; (2) the attempt to identify the extent to which those sources predict job satisfaction and professional self-efficacy. It is our purpose to further explore which differences emerge by age. The research involved child welfare workers, that is, SWs employed in public child welfare agencies in the North East of Italy. Results show the predominant role of interpersonal trust and mutual respect, as main predictors of both professional self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Practical implications of findings are discussed

Addressing Risks of Violence against Healthcare Staff in Emergency Departments: The Effects of Job Satisfaction and Attachment Style

Violence in the workplace is one of the most serious issues affecting the healthcare sector. The incidence of violent behaviour towards healthcare workers is increasing worldwide. It is difficult to assess the extent of the problem, however, as violent incidents are underreported. In fact, many doctors and nurses see violence\u2014perpetrated primarily by patients and visitors (friends and relatives of patients)\u2014as a part of their job. Several studies indicate that violent behaviour against healthcare workers has serious consequences for the professionals involved, as well as for the wider healthcare system. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of patient and visitor violence in a number of emergency departments in northeastern Italy and to explore the relationship between violence and certain psychosocial factors (adult attachment style, age, and job satisfaction). Data were collected using an online questionnaire. Our results demonstrate that patient and visitor violence in emergency departments is a serious risk for nurses and doctors and that it is affected by several factors relating to both patient pathologies and the way the workplace and work patterns are organised. Previous studies indicate that the most common formof violence experienced in these contexts is emotional violence and that nurses are more likely than doctors to suffer emotional and physical violence. Based on multiple regression analysis of the data, it appears that greater age and higher scores in secure attachment are associated with reduced experience of emotional violence from patients and visitors. Furthermore, our results show that the relationship between secure attachment and the amount of patient-and-visitor-perpetrated emotional violence experienced is mediated by levels of job satisfaction.We also discuss the potential implications of these results in terms of using staff training to prevent andmanage patient and visitor violence and improve the safety of healthcare professionals

Violenza nei confronti degli insegnanti: una nuova emergenza educativa

La professione dell’insegnante sembra essere semplice, ma in realtà è qualcosa di più di una semplice professione. Infatti, gli insegnanti sono da sempre identificati come i professionisti con i maggiori livelli di stress a causa dell’altissima domanda emotiva e delle responsabilità che questo tipo di lavoro implica; devono quotidianamente far fronte ad aspettative molto alte e a volte non realistiche da parte della società e dei genitori. Gli insegnanti sono anche chiamati ad essere un modello per gli studenti, si trovano a lavorare con e per gli studenti e a creare con loro una relazione di cura e di aiuto, che sia di sostegno nel percorso di apprendimento e di crescita culturale e personale. In questo tipo di professione giocano un ruolo chiave le relazioni che l’insegnante instaura con gli studenti e le loro famiglie. Negli ultimi anni, a livello mondiale, si assiste ad una nuova emergenza educativa che mina e minaccia la costruzione di una serena relazione: la diffusione di episodi di violenza verbale, materiale o fisica nei confronti degli insegnanti da parte degli studenti o dei loro genitori. Nel capitolo si presenta uno studio esplorativo sul fenomeno per capire quanto sia diffuso e come venga percepito dagli insegnanti di alcune scuole secondarie

SOURCES OF PHYSICIANS\u2019 WELL-BEING: AN EXPLORATIVE QUALITATIVE STUDY

We explore the perceived sources of physicians\u2019 well-being at work. The study was conducted by applying a qualitative research design. Six hundred and eighty-seven physicians completed an online questionnaire. Data were examined according to the grounded theory, using N-Vivo 11. Results highlight four areas of the physicians\u2019 well-being experience: relationships at work, enhancement of competence and professionalism, physicians\u2019 institutional and social recognition, and autonomy and control over work processes. Well-being is the product of multiple factors depending on the way professionals perceive their work environment and their daily work experience, identifying them as sources of comfort and well-being. Interesting differences emerge by gender, age, and attachment style. Practical implications of findings are discussed

Psychosocial Risks and Violence Against Teachers. Is It Possible to Promote Well-Being at Work?

Teaching has been reported to be one of the most stressful occupations, with heavy psychological demands, including the need to develop positive relationships with students and their parents; relationships that, in turn, play a significant role in teachers' well-being. It follows that the impact of any violence perpetrated by a student or parent against a teacher is particularly significant and represents a major occupational health concern. The present study examines for the first time the influence of the Job Demands-Control-Support Model on violence directed against teachers. Six hundred and eighty-six teachers working in elementary and high schools in north-east Italy completed an online, self-report questionnaire. Our findings reveal the role played by working conditions in determining teachers' experience of violence: greater job demands are associated with most offense types, whereas the availability of diffused social support at school is associated with lower rates of harassment. Workload should be equally distributed and kept under control, and violence should gain its place in the shared daily monitoring of practices and experiences at school in order to provide a socially supportive work environment for all teachers

Risk and Protective Factors of Well-Being among Healthcare Staff. A Thematic Analysis

The purpose of this study was to identify physical and psychosocial working conditions to improve well-being at work among healthcare sta. This is a potent area of inquiry given the relationship between healthcare sta well-being and service quality and other key organizational characteristics. However, while numerous studies in this area have used a quantitative methodology, very few have applied qualitative methodologies gathering subjective descriptions of the sources of well-being, providing in so doing significant data to explore in depth the factors that influence well-being in healthcare systems. We gathered qualitative data analyzing open-ended questions about risk and protective factors of well-being at work. The sample was made of 795 professionals answering an online questionnaire. Answers were coded and analyzed using the thematic analysis with an inductive approach (data-driven). We identified four themes strongly aecting professional well-being in health-care sta: Interactions, Working Conditions, Emotional Responses to Work, and Competence and Professional Growth. Our findings suggest possible strategies and actions that may be eective in helping to calibrate case-specific support and monitoring interventions to improve health and well-being of healthcare sta. We also discuss the implications of the study and suggest possible avenues for future empirical research