A cross-industry approach to the identification, prevention, and mitigation of workplace violence and mistreatment in the sign language interpreting field

Front Public Health. 2026 Jul 7;14:1826495. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1826495. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Both type II (consumer/client-on-worker) and type III (worker-on-worker) workplace violence and mistreatment exist within the sign language interpreting field, however type III (also known as horizontal violence or lateral aggression) is more commonly reported. Between 22 to 90% of sign language interpreters have witnessed and/or experienced forms of horizontal violence or behaviors associated with it and 0 to 8% have knowingly perpetrated horizontal violence against another interpreter. This perspective article aims to provide a cross-industry approach by sharing general practices and previous strategies used within the mental and general healthcare settings. We describe how these tools have been adapted to other industries and model how to apply them to the sign language interpreting field.

IDENTIFICATION PREVENTION AND MITIGATION OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE: Available regulatory guidance emphasizes employer responsibility for identifying workplace violence hazards and implementing evidence-informed prevention strategies. Safety and Violence Education (SAVE) was designed for front-line healthcare professionals who are exposed to multiple, well-documented risk factors for workplace violence. The original SAVE curriculum primarily emphasized the perceived predominance of consumer/client-on-worker violence in community mental health settings.

ADAPTATION TO THE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETING FIELD: Critical steps in adapting SAVE for sign language interpreters involved organizational/administrative exposure control strategies, like cultivating awareness of how organizational culture intersects with emotional and psychological safety and emphasized behavioral/interpersonal approaches by recognizing, preventing, and mitigating worker-on-worker aggression, bullying, and relational-based conflict.

DISCUSSION: The adapted SAVE sought to “break the cycle” of horizontal violence and establish a sustainable culture of safety, respect, and professional resilience among sign language interpreters.

PMID:42483070 | PMC:PMC13384915 | DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2026.1826495