VIOLENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HARASSMENT IN LATIN AMERICA

Introduction  Studies on Bullying at Work (Mobbing) in Latin America are almost nonexistent, despite having demonstrated that mobbing is a problem of public and occupational health in other regions in the world. The few studies made in Latin American countries have been made in different populations and with different assessment instruments, leading to an inability to compare the results.    

Objective  The work aims to identify differentially the magnitude of the presence and intensity of psychological violence and the prevalence of Mobbing in Latin American workers.    

Method  Exploratory study with a random sample is not representative of the economically active population in 10 Latin American countries (Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Dominican Republic and Venezuela). The collection of data was based on the implementation of the "Inventory of Violence and Bullying at Work (IVAPT acronym in Spanish).   It took a minimum of 300 employees in each country, randomly selected, with the characteristics of being employed in the formal economy, with more than 6 months antiquity in the company and that they could read and write.    

Results:  The data shows that the use of psychological violence is a common practice in Latin American companies. The country with the lowest rate showed 37% of workers suffering of psychological violence and the highest rate was 92%, the intensity of psychological violence shows lower prevalence, ranging from 5 to 21% of workers suffering intensity of violence in high or medium prevalence of Mobbing in turn range from less than 2% to 18% of workers affected by Mobbing. These figures should be considered very high and alarming for the health of workers in this region of the world.