Networks of power: Gender, race and class in workplace violence.

Category

Business, Economics and Law

Description of research project

This research project investigates how gender discrimination, racism or class discrimination impact care and support workers’ experiences of workplace violence. The research team comprises researchers from AUT and the University of Auckland, led by Professor Katherine Ravenswood (AUT). This research is funded by a Royal Society Marsden grant.

We look not only to investigate instances of workplace violence, but also to understand how these experiences are shaped by the larger picture, i.e. societal and systemic inequalities. The insights could inform effective policies, and practices that address the challenges of workplace violence against support workers, contributing to a safer and more equitable environment.

This study is focused in the context of community-based care and support services, which cover the areas of homecare, disability support, and mental health and addiction. The research will involve support workers and managers/team leaders in these sectors.

There is a Māori-led stream of the research which will involve Māori support workers and managers.
We would like you to share your experiences and knowledge with us in the form of an individual interview (in person or on-line).

We will interview people throughout New Zealand, and for those outside of Auckland we may be able to offer either in-person, phone or online interviews.

Inclusion and/or exclusion criteria

We wish to interview:

1) Support workers (healthcare assistants, peer support workers etc) who have worked in either disability support, mental health & addiction support or home and community support sometime within the last 5 years. You will have either witnessed or experienced some kind of workplace violence.

2) Managers (or team leaders, care co-ordinators etc) who have worked in either disability support, mental health & addiction support or home and community support sometime within the last 5 years. You will have either witnessed or experienced some kind of workplace violence.

If you identify as Māori, we invite you to take part in the Māori focused strand of our research.

Statement of ethics approval

Approved by the Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee on 2024-10-30 for Three years.

AUTEC approval number

24/289

Contact person

Katherine Ravenswood, kravensw@aut.ac.nz

Participant information sheet