| Project period |
01.07.2025 – 30.06.2027
| Project staff |
Projekt management: Dr. Laura Bartz & Dr. Farina Rühs
| Funding & Cooperation |
Fritz Thyssen Foundation
| Project description |
Experiences of violence have substantial adverse effects on both physical and mental health, particularly in high-risk occupations such as policing, emergency medicine, and corrections. Compared to these other high-risk professions, there is currently a paucity of research addressing experiences of violence perpetrated by inmates against correctional staff, despite the fact that this occupational context presents unique challenges. The daily intensive contact within a closed institutional setting, coupled with the inherently coercive nature of the work and the necessity of implementing restrictions and disciplinary measures, makes tensions between staff and inmates more likely.
This research project aims to examine the impact of violence by inmates on correctional staff and to investigate individual factors and processes, as well as organizational resources, that influence how such experiences are managed. The overarching objective is to identify factors that facilitate the coping process in these work contexts, thereby mitigating or preventing long-term negative consequences at multiple levels: from the perspective of individual employees concerning their mental health, from the standpoint of employers regarding their duty of care, and — particularly in public sector institutions — from a societal perspective with respect to the effective functioning of state institutions.
The project addresses the following research questions: (1) What individual and occupational consequences do experiences of violence by inmates have for correctional staff? (2) Which individual and organizational factors facilitate coping with these experiences (thus preventing or alleviating negative outcomes), and which factors impede coping (thereby potentially exacerbating adverse effects)? (3) What evidence-based and promising intervention approaches can be derived from these findings?
To address these questions, the project integrates developmental and occupational psychology perspectives and employs a qualitative research design within the context of correctional facilities. A comprehensive interview study with correctional staff serves as the empirical foundation to identify key influencing factors and to develop practice-oriented recommendations for supporting employees in managing experiences of violence.