Study reveals rise in racial abuse at drug-treatment centre

THERE has been an upsurge in racial abuse against staff at the country’s main drug treatment centre, according to a new study.

The report said female drug addicts were more likely to be violent than male addicts. It found 80% of those physically aggressive tested positive for benzodiazepines, which are legally prescribed tranquillisers.

The research found there were 295 documented incidents of violent or aggressive behaviour by clients at the Drug Treatment Centre Board (DTCB). Of these:

221, or 75% of incidents, were verbal abuse, of which 33 (11%) were racial in nature.

41 (14%) involved property damage.

33 (11%) involved assault or injury.

The report said the rate of violent or aggressive incidents was 85 per 1,000 clients attending the DTCB per year.

It said this rate was similar to a previous study carried out in the DTCB in 2000.

“Levels of recorded violence have remained stable, however, racial abuse has increased in recent years,” said the researchers. The report said previous research found no incidents of racial abuse. “However, the cultural background of staff at the clinic has changed considerably over the last five years and one consequence of this has been the emergence of racial abuse by clients.”

The study found the re-offence rate among some clients was high with 20% of incidents carried out by only seven patients.

Males accounted for more overall incidents of verbal abuse and property damage but this was explained by the fact that males accounted for most attendances.

Female patients were more likely to be violent than males, it said.

“The relationship between physical assault and female gender supports much of the literature of violence in psychiatric settings where female patients are more likely to be violent and to be violent more often.”

The report said nurses and doctors were more likely to suffer verbal abuse and general assistants and security guards were more likely to be physically assaulted.

The research was conducted by consultant psychiatrists Dr John O’Connor of the DTCB and Dr Peter Whitty of the City Mental Health NHS Trust in London. It is published in the current issue of the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine.