A study of abuse and violence against small businesses

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Hopkins, M.C., 2000. A study of abuse and violence against small businesses. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

Little previous research has considered abuse and violence within the context of small businesses. The research that has been conducted has identified that some retail sector businesses experience high rates of abuse and violence, and often incidents are related to crime types such as shop theft. However, no previous studies have considered rates of abuse and violence against retail, manufacturing, service and wholesale business sectors or how incidents are triggered in any detail. The aim of this study is to examine abuse and violence across these business sectors and to establish why some business types experience high rates of incidents. This is done in three stages. First, it is considered how contexts conducive to abuse and violence are generated within the business environment. Here, a theoretical framework is developed which hypothesises that a number of business types will possess 'lifestyle' characteristics that generate these contexts. Second, it is considered how incidents are triggered within businesses. Here it is hypothesised that incidents are triggered when either customers or members of staff violate the norms of business transaction. Third, it is considered how the processes of incidents generate a final result of abuse or violence. It is hypothesised here that incidents will consist of a number of escalating and de-escalating events. Incidents with the most serious results are likely to consist of a number of escalating events, whereas incidents with less serious results are more likely to consist of a number of de-escalating events. These hypothesises are tested by utilising quantitative data from two survey sweeps of interviews with over 800 businesses and qualitative interviews with 20 victims of abuse/violence. Three broad conclusions can be made from this research. First, some businesses have lifestyle characteristics that generate contexts conducive to abuse and violence. Second, we can identify how incidents are triggered in a number of contexts and third, we can identify how the final result of an incident is generated by observing the processes of verbal and physical interaction between victims, offenders and any third parties present during an incident.

Item Type:

Thesis

Creators:

Hopkins, M.C.

Date:

2000

ISBN:

9781369316537

Identifiers: