'I Needed to be Told that I Hadn't Failed': Experiences of Violence Against Probation Staff and of Agency Support

Correspondence to Brian Littlechild, Division of Social Work, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts AL10 9AB Summary The research presented in this article was undertaken to establishthe extent of victimization of various groups of staff in thecounty of Hertfordshire's Probation Service. In particular,it aimed to examine issues of gender in relation to such victimization.Staff were invited to detail incidents which they had experienced,and what factors led them to decide what to do about such incidents.In particular, reasons for reporting—or not reporting—wereaddressed. The research also had the aim of analysing how staffviewed issues of violence from their own perspective, and theirsuggestions for improving safety at work in relation to suchviolence. The research demonstrates that, in the main, probationservice staff are safer than their counterparts in, for example,social services departments, and that they report incidentsof physical violence to a greater degree than other incidents.It highlights that sexual aggression is not uncommon, but islargely unreported. The research also shows that staff who havebeen victims have clear ideas of the support they should receive,and how agencies should respond in a positive manner to aggressors.