Institutional Violence and Misconduct: Violence Toward Staff

Institutional violence can be directed at a number of targets, including government and personal property, other inmates, staff, and oneself. This entry provides an overview of institutional violence directed toward staff, which is defined as [Page 661]instrumental (proactive) or expressive (reactive) aggression directed at jail, prison, or other correctional personnel. Instrumental violence is aggression performed as a means of achieving some ulterior goal (e.g., manipulation, intimidation, or dominance). Expressive violence is aggression performed in response to a negative emotional state (e.g., anger, fear, or frustration). Staff victims of institutional violence include correctional officers, case managers, administrators, and anyone other than an inmate who is employed in a correctional facility. Physical injuries need not be sustained in order to satisfy this definition of institutional violence.