MPH student Camryn Lopez will present her research poster titled “Workplace Violence Training among Young Workers 14–24 Years of Age in the US” at the National Occupational Injury Research Symposium May 11th.
In her research, Lopez looked at the quality of employer provided training in workplace violence prevention and response received by young workers. Research shows they are unlikely to receive any safety training from their employers and Lopez learned the same was true for workplace violence training. She found many young workers going without training on important topics like how to deescalate arguments between coworkers, how to deal with angry customers, or how to get help during a violent event at work. She also found that much of the training only occurs after a violent event has taken place and may consist of completing an online or computer-based training module.
Lopez and her research mentor, Dr. Kimberly Rauscher, Associate Professor in PHPS, noted that workplace violence is more than just physical violence. Most workplace violence includes things like verbal abuse and incivility, bullying, sexual harassment, and threats of violence. Most young people may not expect to experience these behaviors when they go to work but they should be prepared for them, and that is why training, in combination with prevention policies, is so important.
Camryn Lopez’s work will be included in the conference’s virtual Poster Session held May 11 from 4 to 5 pm EDT. This virtual conference runs from May 10-12 and is FREE to all who register here.