In 2004, the Scottish Executive launched a public awareness campaign to address the problem of attacks on public-facing workers. The objective was to gain awareness of the issue and build public consensus that violence, whether physical or verbal, against those who work for the public is unacceptable.
Research has supported anecdotal evidence that many workers consider most types of abuse, and certainly verbal abuse, to be just 'part of the job'. A 'punchbag' campaign on television and outdoor was developed using the line 'Violence against workers is bang out of order' to highlight that workers do not have to suffer this in silence.
Depending on the severity of the case when it reaches the courts, consequences can range from a fine to community service to time in jail. The law takes physical and verbal abuse against workers seriously and this campaign reflects this.
In Year two, the campaign continued and was developed to include an information website address www.infoscotland.com/violenceatwork to signpost both employers and employees to resources which can be used to help address the issue in the workplace.
Crimestoppers Scotland have also provided their hotline 0800 555 111 telephone number to report incidents and an information portal via their website www.crimestoppersscotland.com/abuse-at-work.php
The ads used in the latest stages of the awareness campaign feature a cross-section of workers with 'crime scene tape' encasing their faces highlighting the abuse they have been a victim of, and states the consequences of the action for the perpetrator.
The campaign appears in press and outdoor sites and a mail pack has been sent to all GP surgeries throughout Scotland in 'flu season' when patients are more likely to be abusive to practice staff.
Post campaign research concluded that the campaign was very successful with over 75% of the public strongly agreeing that physical and verbal abuse against workers was unacceptable and it must be reported.
However, although there is a high level of agreement 'in principle', in practice too many incidents are still not reported due to a belief by many workers that nothing can be done about such behaviour.
As a result in Year three, the campaign has been developed to demonstrate that physical and verbal abuse are criminal offences and that there are consequences to behaviour such as threatening, spitting and physical abuse.