At the 8th International Congress of Nursing and Midwifery of the University Medical Centre Maribor – Nursing and Midwifery in Modern Times (17 October 2025, Maribor), Šefik Salkunić and Jernej Mori presented the European project BRAVE-WOW.
The BRAVE-WOW project focuses on identifying, preventing, and managing violence in healthcare, particularly gender-based violence and workplace harassment.
Some key highlights from the presentation:
- 22.8% of employees worldwide have experienced gender-based violence or harassment, and more than 60% report repeated incidents.
- In healthcare, employees are often exposed to physical, psychological, and sexual violence – both in person and online.
Key measures:
- recognizing warning signs, applying de-escalation techniques, providing psychological support to staff, ensuring appropriate facilities and equipment, strengthening security services, and improving incident reporting procedures;
- Bodycam cameras can also serve as an important tool, providing evidential recordings of incidents while acting as a deterrent.
The project promotes a safe, respectful, and dignified working environment for all healthcare professionals and raises public awareness about the unacceptability of violence.