Calls to address ‘alarming rates’ of gendered violence against Victorian healthcare workers

Violence is widespread in the Australian healthcare system, with up to one in four Victorian healthcare workers experiencing work-related gendered violence, according to a new review from The Australian National University (ANU).  

The report, prepared by the ANU Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL) for the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU), also found that gendered violence within the health and community sectors is routinely underreported. 

Among Victorian public healthcare sector staff who experienced sexual harassment, 50 per cent did not submit a formal complaint. 

Lead author of the report, Dr Gosia Mikolajczak, said this chronic underreporting demonstrates how our current systems are ill-equipped to deal with the problem. 

“Workplace-gendered violence is pervasive in the Victorian healthcare and community services sectors and can have serious consequences for its employees’ physical and mental wellbeing, as well as the quality of care provided,” Dr Mikolajczak said.  

“It also puts additional strain on other employees and the whole healthcare system, which needs to meet the growing demand for mental health and disability services.

“Survey data from almost 4,000 Victorian health workers from public and private hospitals, community health services and home care facilities found that 70 per cent of respondents experienced aggression, violence, or abuse from patients. 

“In another survey conducted by HACSU, more than half of Victorian disability care workers reported repeatedly experiencing physical violence or psychological harm. This is concerningly high compared to global benchmarks.”  

Dr Mikolajczak said with women making up 78 per cent of the Victorian health sector workforce and approximately 70 per cent of the disability workforce, it’s important to look at violence from a gendered perspective, particularly as women are more likely to experience sexual harassment at work. 

“The time is ripe for Australia to extend the conversation about workplace-gendered violence. We need to shine a light on harmful behaviour at work to fully understand and address the root causes and eradicate the risks faced by such an alarming proportion of women and gender-diverse people in Victoria and across the country,” she said. 

“We also need more data on those more vulnerable employees, including those from minoritised backgrounds, as well as disability and mental health workers who often provide in-home care and are particularly at risk of abuse.”  

According to the report, the most common types of workplace sexual harassment reported in Victorian public healthcare included sexually suggestive comments or jokes (52 per cent) and intrusive questions about a person’s private life or physical appearance (50 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively).  

More than a quarter (26 per cent) of Victorian public healthcare workers reported inappropriate physical contact, and two-in-10 (21 per cent) experienced unwelcome touching, hugging, cornering, or kissing. 

More than half (53 per cent) of Victorian public healthcare workers who indicated bullying, harassment or discrimination as a workplace stressor also reported high to severe stress. 

“Through the available literature, we know violence or abusive behaviour is often coming from patients and their families,” Dr Mikolajczak said. 

“The nature of direct care in healthcare and community services, often involving extended contact in isolation from other staff members, puts healthcare workers at particularly high risk of gendered violence from patients.” 

The research team believe any attempt to address work-related gendered violence needs to take a “whole of sector” approach with adequate funding support from the government. 

“It also requires sustained commitment from leadership and a willingness to address systemic and structural drivers of gendered violence,” Dr Mikolajczak said. 

“A culture of respect and zero tolerance for violent behaviour should be communicated to patients and visitors through public awareness campaigns about gendered violence. We also need to see policy changes, effective reporting mechanisms and ongoing staff training. 

“Without regulatory guidelines on how to protect the practitioner from the patient, we need to start asking, who looks after our healthcare workers? 

“Our report doesn’t just identify the issues, but it provides clear recommendations that leaders can implement, which not only protects women and gender-diverse Australians from violence in the workplace but benefits the whole of Australian society.” 

The full report is available on the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership website.