Staff actions as risk factors for victimization: An incident-based study of conflict management in residential youth care institutions

Abstract

Staff at residential youth care institutions often encounter conflictual and sometimes dangerous situations while enforcing rules and providing care for adolescents. Although research has explored staff victimization risk factors in this occupational setting, little attention has been paid to the interaction-level factors that may influence this risk. This paper addresses this gap by examining the face-to-face dynamics of staff-adolescent conflicts. We analyzed 135 incidents, retrospectively reported by 50 employees from seven facilities, ranging from open to secure units. Using a case-crossover study design, we first coded staff and adolescent actions in both staff victimization and non-victimization events. We then estimated how staff conflict management actions correlated with staff’s subsequent exposure to violence and threats in the situation. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found no significant influence of staff actions on their risk of victimization. However, further exploratory analysis indicated that when staff attempt to control an object in the adolescent’s possession this leads to escalation and staff victimization. Our null findings may suggest a need to adjust expectations regarding the effectiveness of conflict management strategies in some contexts, although it is important to note that the current results do not preclude the potential for larger-sampled studies to identify preventive benefits of management actions.