Introduction:

Violence is an extremely diffuse and complex issue with worldwide effect and a considerably increasing prevalence. Specifically, workplace violence is a relevant problem because of the multiple consequences it can have on people, institutions, and society.

Aim:

To determine the perception of labor violence and associated factors, in emergency units of private health facilities.

Methods:

Cross-sectional, explanatory study, involving 130 workers from private emergency units in the south central Chile. Data were collected in 2019 through a questionnaire organized into two sections: (a) Bio-economic and workplace variables and (b) Health sector workplace questionnaire. International bioethical principles were observed throughout the research.

Results:

Psychological violence had the highest prevalence in this study group (54.6%). For the inferential analysis, associations were tested using the chi square and the Fisher's test. A logistic regression model was also tested, yielding a significant result (p ≤ 0.05) for the variable age, the way it belongs and concern for violence, which increases the risk of psychological violence (p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusions:

Participants reported that physical and psychological violence were the most frequent type of violence experienced. For both types of violence, the client was identified as the primary perpetrator. It is pointed out that these findings can be very useful for private health institutions and care management, by providing empirical inputs to make decisions regarding the health work environment.

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