In 2004, the Scottish Executive launched a public awareness campaign to address the problem of attacks on public-facing workers. The objective was to gain awareness of the issue and build public consensus that violence, whether physical or verbal, against those who work for the public is unaccep-table.

Many workers consider most types of abuse, and certainly verbal abuse, to be just ‘part of the job’. A ‘punchbag’ campaign on television and outdoor was developed using the line ‘Violence against workers is bang out of order’.

In Year two, the campaign continued and was developed to include the need to report such abuse, and provided the Crimestoppers Scotland hotline 0800 555 111 telephone number to report incidents, and the web address www.infoscotland.com/violenceatwork for more information.

Research concluded that the campaign was very successful with over 75% of the public strongly agreeing that physical and verbal abuse against workers was unacceptable and it must be reported.

However, although there is a high level of agreement ‘in principle’, in practice too many incidents are still not reported due a belief by many workers that nothing can be done about such behaviour.

So in Year three, a campaign has been developed to demonstrate that physical and verbal abuse are criminal offences and that there are consequences to behaviour such as threatening, spitting and physical abuse.

Depending on the severity of the case consequences can range from a fine to community service to time in jail.

The law takes physical and verbal abuse against workers seriously and this campaign reflects this.

The ads feature a cross-section of workers with 'crime scene tape' encasing their faces highlighting the abuse they have been a victim of, and states the consequences of the action for the perpetrator.

The campaign appears in press and outdoor sites and a mail pack is being sent to GP surgeries throughout Scotland in 'flu season' when patients are more likely to be abusive to practice staff.