Work-related violence: experiences of shopping centre security guards

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the construct of work-related violence experienced by security guards employed at a shopping centre in Gauteng. The objectives of the study were: to identify the nature of the psychological problems experienced by security guards at the Gauteng shopping centre, to explore the working conditions that account for the difficulties experienced by security guards in the context of their work, to identify various forms of work-related violence manifesting in security work at the shopping centre; and to recommend psychological intervention strategies to address security guards’ experiences of work-related violence. Galtung’s (1969) proposition on structural violence was adopted as the conceptual framework to understand how the poor working conditions of security guards in the private security industry in South Africa could constitute structural violence. Qualitative research was employed to analyse participants’ accounts of their experiences of work-related violence. A case study research design was employed to investigate the experiences of security guards at the shopping centre. Ten security guards who met the study’s inclusion criteria in terms of the age cohort, work experience and residence in Gauteng participated in the study. Nine themes emerged when the data were analyzed. Findings indicated that difficult living circumstances related to structural violence inherent in South African society, sector-specific precarious work-related problems, and direct exposure to violence from the public and criminals characterised the work-related violence that the shopping centre security guards experienced. This study concludes that the working conditions of shopping centre security guards are a form of structural violence that adversely impacts their psychological well-being. The study successfully demonstrated how work-related violence is a psychological construct worthy of psychological research and proposes psychological interventions that could be implemented in the security industry. Proposals for further psychological research in the security industry are made.

Die doel van hierdie studie was om die konstruk van werkverwante geweld te ondersoek, soos ervaar deur sekuriteitswagte wat by ’n winkelsentrum in Gauteng in diens is. Die doelwitte van die studie was: om die aard van die sielkundige probleme te identifiseer wat sekuriteitswagte by die Gautengse winkelsentrum ervaar; om die werksomstandighede te ondersoek wat verantwoordelik is vir die probleme wat sekuriteitswagte in die konteks van hulle werk ervaar; om verskillende vorme van werkverwante geweld te identifiseer wat met sekuriteitswerk by die winkelsentrum verband hou; en om sielkundige ingrypingstrategieë aan te beveel om sekuriteitswagte se ervarings van werkverwante geweld aan te spreek. Galtung (1969) se voorstel oor strukturele geweld is gebruik as die konseptuele raamwerk om te verstaan hoe die swak werksomstandighede van sekuriteitswagte in die private sekuriteitsbedryf in Suid-Afrika op strukturele geweld kan neerkom. Kwalitatiewe navorsing is gebruik om deelnemers se verslae oor hulle ervarings van werkverwante geweld te analiseer. ’n Gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp is gebruik om die ervarings van sekuriteitswagte by die winkelsentrum te ondersoek. Tien sekuriteitswagte wat aan die studie se insluitingskriteria voldoen het ten opsigte van ouderdomsgroep, werkservaring en verblyf in Gauteng, het aan die studie deelgeneem. Nege temas het na vore gekom toe die data ontleed is. Bevindinge het aangedui dat moeilike lewensomstandighede wat verband hou met strukturele geweld wat inherent is aan die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing, sektorspesifieke gevaarlike werkverwante probleme en direkte blootstelling aan geweld deur die publiek en misdadigers, kenmerke is van die werkverwante geweld wat deur sekuriteitswagte in die winkelsentrum ervaar word. Hierdie studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die werksomstandighede van sekuriteitswagte in winkelsentrums ’n vorm van strukturele geweld is wat ’n nadelige invloed op hulle sielkundige welstand het. Die studie het suksesvol gedemonstreer hoe werkverwante geweld ’n sielkundige konstruk is wat beslis sielkundige navorsing waardig is, en dit stel sielkundige ingrypings voor wat in die sekuriteitsbedryf geïmplementeer kan word. Voorstelle vir verdere sielkundige navorsing in die sekuriteitsbedryf word gemaak.