When rehabilitation hurts? Educators Victims of Violence

The aim of this study is to understand violence directed against behaviour technicians in juvenile rehabilitation centres. The findings are based on a survey conducted among 586 educators working in one of ten youth centres across Quebec. In this article we will first assess the occurrence of violent acts. Then, we will examine individual and contextual factors that predict physical aggression. More than half (53.9 %) of the educators surveyed reported to have been physically assaulted at least once in the past year. Regarding individual factors, being affected by the exposure to aggressive behaviours and the frequency of psychological aggression increase the risk of victimization. With respect to situational factors, the age of the clientele and the legal basis for placement (i.e. civil or criminal) influence the occurrence of violent acts towards staff members. Our analyses also show that physical violence not only affects staff members but also the institution. The identification of predictors of violence can guide prevention programs in youth centres. Moreover, they can help target behaviour technicians who are at risk of being assaulted in order to prevent their victimization.