Influence of Gender and Psychological Violence on Physical Violence among Employees in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Physical violence at work has devastating psychological, health, and economic consequences on employees and the organization (Di Martino, 2003; Weiler, 2007). This study investigated the extent to which gender and the victims‘ level of experienced psychological violence (low, medium, or high) determine the level of physical violence they exhibit. Participants were 703 employees (460 females; 243 males) with a mean age of 33.93 years (SD = 7.64). Results indicated that no significant gender differences existed in victims‘ tendency to engage in physical violence. However, victims of high psychological violence exhibited the highest level of physical violence compared with victims of either medium or low psychological violence. Finally, gender and psychological violence did not exert a significant joint effect on victims‘ tendency to engage in physical violence. Research and practical implications of the findings were discussed.

Keywords: Workplace violence, workplace reactivity, gender, southwestern Nigeria

Gender & Behaviour, 10(2), December 2012