Prevalence and Characteristics of Violence against Paramedics in a Single Canadian Site

Justin Mausz (), Mandy Johnston, Dominique Arseneau-Bruneau, Alan M. Batt and Elizabeth A. Donnelly
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Justin Mausz: Peel Regional Paramedic Services, Fernforest Division, 1600 Bovaird Drive East, Brampton, ON L6R 4R5, Canada
Mandy Johnston: Peel Regional Paramedic Services, Tomken Division, 6825 Tomken Road, Mississauga, ON L5T 1N4, Canada
Dominique Arseneau-Bruneau: Peel Regional Paramedic Services, Fernforest Division, 1600 Bovaird Drive East, Brampton, ON L6R 4R5, Canada
Alan M. Batt: Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen’s University, 99 University Avenue, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
Elizabeth A. Donnelly: School of Social Work, The University of Windsor, 167 Ferry Street, Windsor, ON N9A 0C5, Canada

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 17, 1-11

Abstract: Violence against paramedics has been described as a ‘serious public health problem’ but one that remains ‘vastly underreported’, owing to an organizational culture that stigmatizes reporting–hindering efforts at risk mitigation in addition to creating a gap in research. Leveraging a novel reporting process developed after extensive stakeholder consultation and embedded within the electronic patient care record, our objective was to provide a descriptive profile of violence against paramedics in a single paramedic service in Ontario, Canada. Between 1 February 2021 and 31 January 2023, a total of 374 paramedics in Peel Region (48% of the workforce) generated 941 violence reports, of which 40% documented physical ( n = 364) or sexual ( n = 19) assault. The violence was typically perpetrated by patients (78%) and primarily took place at the scene of the 9-1-1 call (47%); however, violent behavior frequently persisted or recurred while in transit to hospital and after arrival. Collectively, mental health, alcohol, or drug use were listed as contributing circumstances in 83% of the violence reports. In all, 81 paramedics were physically harmed because of an assault. On average, our data correspond to a paramedic filing a violence report every 18 h, being physically assaulted every 46 h, and injured every 9 days.

Keywords: paramedics; emergency medical services; violence; occupational health and safety; mental health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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