Recent 2026 research paints a consistent picture of the challenges healthcare workplaces still face in addressing violence and harassment. A scoping review on workplace violence against healthcare workers found that underreporting remains widespread, with more than half of the reviewed studies showing underreporting rates above 50%. One of the most frequently identified barriers was the perception that reporting would not lead to any meaningful change, alongside weak feedback mechanisms and ineffective institutional systems. This concern is echoed by a 2026 Italian study, which reported that 43.2% of healthcare workers had experienced verbal violence and 12.5% physical violence during their career, while also showing that workers who had received information on prevention were less likely to report exposure to violence. Together, these findings suggest that the problem is not only the persistence of violence itself, but also the fragility of the systems meant to prevent, recognise, and respond to it.
The same 2026 evidence also points towards what works better. A systematic review on prevention strategies in healthcare shows that training is more effective when it is practical, supported by simulation or behavioural approaches, and embedded within wider organisational measures such as leadership support, clear policies, and safer environments. Another 2026 review, focused on sexual violence against mental health nurses in inpatient psychiatric settings, adds an important gendered perspective by showing that such violence is linked to burnout, poorer quality of life, and days lost from work. Taken together, these studies indicate that safer healthcare workplaces depend on more than awareness alone. They require trusted reporting mechanisms, practical training, and institutional responses capable of turning evidence into lasting organisational change. In BRAVE-WOW, this is the direction the project is supporting through its pilot activities and digital platform for questionnaires, training materials, and pre- and post-intervention assessment.
References
Abreu, A. R., Gonçalves, F., Oliveira, S., & Ribeiro, I. (2026). Workplace violence against healthcare workers: A scoping review of reporting practices, barriers to reporting and institutional responses (2020–2025). BMC Health Services Research, 26, Article 460.
Paduano, G., Sansone, V., Ingrosso, D., & Pavia, M. (2026). Assessing workplace violence in healthcare workers: A cross-sectional study in Italy. BMC Health Services Research, 26, 37.
La Barbiera, C., Mento, C., Lombardo, C., Capozza, D., & De Carlo, A. (2026). Success factors in prevention activities and training intervention against workplace violence in healthcare: A systematic review. Public Health in Practice, 11, 100736.
Anastasi, G., Lo Monaco, M., Figura, M., D’Amico, D., Amodio, E., Stievano, A., Notarnicola, I., & Latina, R. (2026). Sexual violence against mental health nurses in inpatient psychiatric settings: A systematic review of prevalence, outcomes, and risk factors. Nursing Reports, 16(2), 59.