Lateral violence
Lateral violence, also known as horizontal violence, refers to hostility or aggressive behaviors among individuals at the same hierarchical level within organizations or communities. This phenomenon often manifests as emotional or verbal abuse rather than physical aggression, with actions such as name-calling, intimidation, and gossip being common examples. In workplace settings, especially in fields like healthcare, lateral violence can create a toxic environment characterized by low morale, decreased productivity, and high employee turnover. Victims may suffer from mental health issues, including depression and low self-esteem, which can further impact their performance and relationships.
The roots of lateral violence can often be traced to the organizational culture set by management. When hostility becomes normalized from higher-ups, it can lead to widespread acceptance of negative behavior among all employees. Addressing lateral violence requires education and awareness, encouraging individuals to recognize and report such behaviors while fostering a culture of respect and support. Organizations are urged to implement zero-tolerance policies, provide counseling resources, and promote conflict resolution skills to mitigate this issue and create a healthier work environment for everyone.
Lateral violence
Lateral violence, which is sometimes called horizontal violence, is hostility among people on the same hierarchical level within a community or an organization. The term is sometimes used to describe hostility or violence among peers in oppressed groups; instead of directing their aggression at their oppressors, some members of these groups will take out their anger and frustration on their peers. More often, "lateral violence" is used to describe disruptive or uncivil behavior among colleagues in a work environment.
Lateral Violence in the Workplace
Lateral violence in the workplace rarely involves actual physical violence. Although physical aggression is possible, it more often involves emotional or verbal abuse. The goal of lateral violence is to dominate and diminish one's coworkers and other fellow employees. Some of the most blatant examples of lateral violence include:
- Name-calling or belittling a coworker
- Intimidating another employee
- Spreading rumors about another person
- Shouting or yelling at a coworker
- Using impolite gestures or facial expressions when discussing another employee
- Criticizing others' work
- Refusing to work with certain people
- Using a curt or angry tone when speaking to others
Lateral violence can also involve less obvious negative behaviors, such as ignoring coworkers, withholding information, violating someone's privacy, excluding others socially, refusing to assist others, or breaking someone's trust.
Experts believe that lateral violence occurs because of the tone set by managers and other senior staff members within an organization. If hostility and incivility are accepted at the highest levels, then they become the norm among all employees.
While lateral violence can occur in any workplace environment, it is especially prevalent in the healthcare field, particularly in nursing. A survey of more than 660 nursing staff members at a South Carolina hospital found that 65 percent of respondents had witnessed lateral violence in the workplace. Of these respondents, 46 percent said that they believed lateral violence was a serious issue within their field.
Effects of Lateral Violence
Lateral violence creates a hostile work environment that can have negative effects on employees, employers, and clients. It often leads to a higher number of absences, decreased productivity, low employee morale, increased employee errors, and higher staff turnover rates. The phenomenon can also lead to serious mental and emotional problems for individual employees. Victims of lateral violence may experience depression, trouble sleeping, low self-esteem, and decreased motivation to work. They may have difficulty forming and maintaining personal relationships. These feelings can negatively affect an employee's performance, and in a health-care setting, this can create a dangerous environment for employees and their patients.
Unfortunately, many employees who witness lateral violence do not speak up about what they see. They often fear that the perpetrator will come after them if they say anything. In addition, because lateral violence often becomes part of an organization's culture, some employees choose to participate in the behavior rather than become victims themselves.
How to Handle Lateral Violence
Employees must first understand what lateral violence is before they can attempt to address the behavior. In some work environments, lateral violence is so ingrained that employees assume that this type of behavior is normal. In such cases, workers may not realize that they are guilty of committing lateral violence against their colleagues. They may reason that because their coworkers treated them poorly in the past, they can behave similarly toward other employees. Additionally, workers who do realize that lateral violence is a problem in their workplace may feel that it is impossible to try to change the culture of an entire organization.
However, employees and employers can take steps to address lateral violence. Experts believe that education on lateral violence and its damaging effects is necessary to help end the negative behaviors that create disruptive work environments. Educational programs should stress that individuals who witness lateral violence should document and report the behavior to supervisors. In instances where supervisors are part of the problem, employees should discuss their concerns with human resources managers or their union representatives.
Supervisors and upper-level staff can help prevent lateral violence by modeling respectful behavior toward other employees. Employers should adopt a zero-tolerance policy regarding incidents of lateral violence and workplace bullying. Some employers may also aid victims by offering access to counseling services.
Individual employees should examine their own behavior and ask themselves if they are engaging in any form of lateral violence. If so, they should take steps to try to correct their behavior. Educating employees about conflict resolution techniques can help them learn how to handle disputes professionally. Furthermore, it is important for employees and employers to work together to continue to monitor incidents of lateral violence to ensure that their work environment is safe for everyone.
Bibliography
Sawatsky, Len, and Jarem Sawatsky. "Colonization and Christianization." Religion and Violence: An Encyclopedia of Faith and Conflict from Antiquity to the Present, edited by Jeffrey Ian Ross, vol. 1, M. E. Sharpe, 2011, pp. 183–93.
Stanley, Karen M., et al. "Examining Lateral Violence in the Nursing Workforce." Issues in Mental Health Nursing, vol. 28, no. 11, 2007, pp. 1247–65. Academic Search Complete, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=27395168. Accessed 31 Oct. 2016.
Vidal-Alves, Maria Joao, et al. "(Un)Broken: Lateral Violence Among Hospital Nurses, User Violence, Burnout, and General Health: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis." Frontiers in Medicine, vol. 9, 23 Nov. 2022, doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.1045574. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Wolf, Karen Anne. "Lateral Violence: Ending Incivility in the Nursing Profession." NurseTogether, 8 May. 2020, www.nursetogether.com/lateral-violence-ending-incivility-nursing-profession. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.