"there are two types of verbal abuse; those incidents that involve name calling and those incidents that involve a threat" (Arboleda-Florez, Crisanti, Rose & Holley, 1994, p. 190).

verbal abuse "name calling":
"is identified when a patient directs a negative communication towards one or more persons identified as intended recipients. A negative communication consists of either (i) a derogatory name, or (ii) any other behaviour, verbal or non-verbal, that would typically elicit a clear behavioural indication of annoyance or distress from the intended recipient" (Arboleda-Florez, Crisanti, Rose & Holley, 1994, p. 190).

verbal abuse "threat":
"is identified when a patient directs a negative communication that involves a threat toward one or more persons identified as intended recipients. This threat may be accompanied by a physically threatening gesture (i.e. shaking a fist)" (Arboleda-Florez, Crisanti, Rose & Holley, 1994, p. 190).

verbal aggression:
"defined as verbal threats or gestures that evoke fear in staff, patients or others whether intended or not" (Arboleda-Florez, Crisanti, Rose & Holley, 1994, p. 189).

verbal aggression "cursing/ swearing":
"when the person verbalizes one or more words that are commonly regarded as profane or obscene, regardless of pitch or intensity, what are perceived as threatening , then the behaviour is defined as cursing swearing. If these verbalizations are directed at an individual they are identified as Interactive Aggressive behaviour" (Arboleda-Florez, Crisanti, Rose & Holley, 1994, p. 189).

verbal assaults:
"include verbal threats, statements of intent to harm persons and/or property and non-interpersonal acts intended to frighten staff" (Flannery et al., 1994; cited in Rabin, 1998).

victim:
"a person subjected to oppression, deprivation or suffering; someone put to death, tortured, or mulled by another; a person subjected by oppression; deprivation or suffering; someone tricked, duped, or subjected to hardship; someone badly used of taken advantage of; anyone who suffers as a result of ruthless designation, or incidentally or accidentally" (Gove & Merrian, 1968, p. 2550).

VNS-Victim Notification System - (1996-Canada):
"computer automatically phones victims before an offender is to be released or if the inmate escapes. Victims that register for the service will receive updates on the progress of their case" (Blackwell, 1996, The Canadian Press, June 5, 1996).

victimization:
"the act or process of victimization or the state of being victimized" (Gove & Merrian, 1968, p. 2550).

victimization:
"victimization occurs when one individual is harmed when another person's beahviour violates social norms" (Sanders-Phillips, 1997).

victimizer:
"one that victimizes" (Gove & Merrian, 1968, p. 2550).

victimology:
"describes the study of people who have experienced any of the wide range of victimization experiences from any of the following perspectives: the victim, the offender, family and society" (Clements, 1995, p. 1).

victimology theory:
"explains the universal rejection of victims. There appears to be resistance to believing the innocence of victims. People feel helpless and vulnerable when exposed to senseless violence and need to find rational explanations for the incident. Blaming the victim helps by providing an explanation. People also have an irrational fear of contamination by the victim. Rejection of the victim becomes a defensive maneuver" (Moss, 1991, cited in Sideleau, 1992).

victimology theory:
"the theory that explains the universal rejection of victims and characterized by the blaming of victims is known as the Victimology Theory" (Moss, 1991).

violence:
"recognized as the exercise of power and control over more vulnerable individuals and groups" (CNA, 1992, p. 3).

violence:
"violence is a generic word bedeviled by the lack of a universally accepted definition." Nova Scotia Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Council Available: http://fox.nstn.ca/~jrichlin/viotoc.html

violence:
"the overt expression of force intended to hurt or kill" (Studies on media violence by Professor George Gerbner, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, 1960's).

violence:
"physical behaviors that result in harm to other people" (Morrison, 1992; cited in Rabin, 1998).

violence:
"implies that behaviour results in bodily injury and may be self-directed or directed at others" (Arboleda-Florez, Crisanti, Rose & Holley, 1994, p. 189).

violence:
"an interactive phenomenon, where aspects of the immediate environment - the physical plant and the presence of staff and other patients - affect an individual's behaviour" (Davis, 1991; cited in Whittington & Wykes, 1994, p. 219).

violence:
"an overt, observable, excessive physical action causing harm to others, thus a violent person is someone who physically assaults another" (Mason, 1998, p. 405).

violence:
"an overt and observable, excessive physical action causing harm to others, and unless distorted with such acts as coerced rape as a form of violence, then it can be clearly understood, certainly in lay terms, as to what constitutes such violence" (Mason, 1999, p. 160).

violence against nurses:
"the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) defines violence as any incident in which a nurse or health care worker is put at risk. This includes verbal abuse, threatening behavior or assault by a patient or member of the public" (Gulland, 1998, p. 18).

violence "cycle of violence":
"the cycle of violence was developed by Lenore Walker in the 1970s. The Cycle of Violence, Available: http://www.health.wa.gov.au/publications/dvtk_cycle.html

violence "expressive":
"involves interpersonal altercations usually with people who are known to the assailant, and are of similar age, ethnicity, and cultural background" (Labecki, 1994; Visher, 1994; cited in Peternelj-Taylor & Hufft, 1996, p. 774).

violence "family", "domestic":
"a broad term that encompasses all forms of abuse. Violence has a profound impact on all segments of society and effects all family members" (CNA, 1992, p. 3).

violence "gang":
"associated with group membership and is committed for retaliation or revenge. Group alliances lead to gang violence, and typical victims or those who are particularly vulnerable or at risk, are sexual offenders, those who have offended against children, and those with mental illness and or physical and mental handicaps" (Sigler, 1995, cited in Peternelj-Taylor & Hufft, 1996, p. 774).

violence "instrumental":
"acts are premeditated and unusually motive driven, committed to acquire property or for economic gain, and usually involve people who are unknown to each other and have dissimilar backgrounds" (Labecki, 1994; Visher, 1994; cited in Peternelj-Taylor & Hufft, 1996, p. 774).

violence code (1987-Canada):
"The Violence Code was enacted for the regulation of media violence in Canada introduced by the Canadian Broadcasting Standard Council.

violent assaults:
"Flannery et al, (1994) have identified three classifications for violent assaults: physical assaults, sexual assaults and verbal assaults" (Flannery et al.,1994; cited in Rabin, 1998).

violent crime linkage analysis:
"VICLAS (1995) is the Canada-wide computerized data base used by the police; compiles data on murders, attempted murders and sexual assaults; compiles information on violent crimes and on violent criminals about to be released from prison".

VICAP -FBI's (1985-USA) is a computerized system, developed in 1985 by Brooks, a retired Los Angeles homicide detective. The system analyses details of violent crimes to detect serial killers and rapists. To-day it is an internationally known computer system used by the police to investigate criminals".

voluntary euthanasia:
"results when death is the result of a rational decision of the patient" (Cambridge, 1995, cited in Cawsey, 1996, p. 24).

voluntary euthanasia:
"understood as the euthanizing of a patient at his or her own request where it is assumed that the patient who makes this request is competent at the time of making the request" (Kluge, 1992, p. 267).

References