This study examines the influence of patient density (crowding) and number of potential perpetrators on the number of incidents of violence and self-harm at a medium secure unit. Of 2,053 incidents examined over a period of 974 days, 73% were perpetrated by 20% of the patients, the majority by patients identified as potential perpetrators. Increased patient density was not associated with increased risk of violence or self-harm. There was no evidence to suggest that the presence of those identified as potentially violent or self-harming increased the risk of others engaging in such behaviour.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AikenG. J. M. (1982) Violence in the semi-secure ward of a psychiatric hospital. Med Sci. Law22, 203–9.
2.
AlexanderB. K.RothE. M. (1970) The effects of acute crowding on aggressive behaviour of Japanese monkeys. Behaviour39, 73–90.
3.
BebakJ.BeckA. (1993) The effect of cage size on play and aggression between dogs in purpose-bred beagles. Laboratory Animal Science43, 457–9.
4.
BourasN.TrauerT.WatsonJ. P. (1982) Ward environment and disturbed behaviour. Psych. Med.12, 309–19.
5.
CarlileJ. B. (1993) The reduction of violence in a chronic psychiatric in-patient group: a social technique. Can. J Psychiat.38, 103–7.
6.
CoxV.PaulusP. B.McCainG. (1984) Prison crowding research. The relevance for prison housing standards and a general approach regarding crowding phenomena. Am. Psychologist39, 1148–60.
7.
DaviesW. (1982) Violence in prisons. In: FeldmanM. (ed.) Developments in the Study of Criminal Behaviour (vol. 2). Chichester, Wiley, pp. 131–62.
8.
Department of Health and Home Office (1992) Review of Health and Social Services for Mentally Disordered Offenders and Others Requiring Similar Services: Final Summary Report. DOH.
9.
DietzP. E.RadaR. T. (1982) Battery incidents and batterers in a maximum security hospital. Arch. Gen. Psychiat.39, 81–4.
10.
EdwardsJ. G.JonesD.ReadW. H.ChuC. (1988) Physical assaults in a psychiatric unit of a general hospital. Am. J. Psychiat.145, 1568–72.
11.
FottrellE. (1980) A study of violent behaviour among patients in psychiatric hospitals. Brit. J. Psychiat.136, 216–21.
12.
HallerR. M.DelutyR. H. (1988) Assaults on staff by psychiatric in-patients — a critical review. Brit. J. Psychiat.152, 174–9.
13.
HildrethA. M.DerogatisL. R.McCuskerK. (1971) Body buffer zone and violence: a reassessment and confirmation. Am. J. Psychiat.127, 77–81.
14.
HughesB. O.Wood-GushD. G. M. (1977) Agonistic behaviour in domestic hens: the influence of housing method and group size. Animal Behaviour25, 1056–62.
15.
KennedyJ.HarrisonJ.HillisT.BluglassR. (1995) Analysis of violent incidents in a regional secure unit. Med. Sci. Law35, 255–60.
16.
NobleP.RodgerS. (1989) Violence by psychiatric in-patients. Brit. J. Psychiat.155, 384–90.
17.
PalmstiernaT.HuitfieldB.WistedtB. (1991) The relationship of crowding and aggressive behaviour on a psychiatric intensive care unit. Hosp. & Community Psychiat.42, 1237–40.
18.
PalmstiernaT.WistedtB. (1995) Changes in the pattern of aggressive behaviour among in-patients with changed ward organization. Acta Psychiat. Scand.91, 32–5.
19.
PearsonM.WilmotE.PadiM. (1986) A study of violent behaviour among in-patients in a psychiatric hospital. Brit. J. Psychiat.149, 232–5.
20.
PettijohnT. F.DavisK. L.ScottJ. P. (1980) Influence of living space on agonistic interaction in Telomian dogs. Behavioural & Neural Biol.28, 343–9.
21.
RagoW. V.ParkerR. M.ClelandC. M. (1978) Effect of decreased space on the social behaviour of institutionalized profoundly retarded male adults. Am. J. Ment. Deficiency82, 554–8.
22.
ShahA. K.FinebergN. A.JamesD. V. (1991) Violence among psychiatric in-patients. Acta Psychiat. Scand.84, 305–9.
23.
StokolsD. (1972) On the distinction between density and crowding: some implications for future research. Psychol. Review79, 275–7.
24.
WalkerZ.SeifertR. (1994) Violent incidents in a psychiatric intensive care unit. Brit. J. Psychiat.164, 826–8.
25.
Lord JusticeWoolfTuminS. (1991) Prison Disturbances. April 1990, Cmnd. 1456, London, HMSO.
