Anstaltspersonals erfarenheter och påverkan av hot och våld på arbetet : en kvalitativ studie

Sammanfattning: The aim of this paper was to describe the phenomenon of threats and violence within a Swedish penal institution. The study was thematized according to the three main research questions. These were as follows; The threats and violence prison staff have experienced in their workplace (I) how these experiences affected them in their work performances (II) and in their private life (III). By a qualitative design, in-depth interviews were carried out with four persons who are, or formerly have been, gainfully employed at a penal institution. Concepts from the theory of symbolic interactionism and a theory of human action have been used in the analysing process of this paper. The study showed that all respondents had experiences of threats and/or violence as well as been witnessing the phenomenon. This also showed to be something that had been affecting them in their work e.g. by changes of departments, sick leaves and a different treatment of offenders through avoiding certain inmates and situations. The respondents exposure of threats and violence was related to understaffing and management structure. The study further showed that the respondents were affected in their private life in terms of a changed outlook on people, mood changes and also through a blunting concerning fear.