Agressie-incidenten in de asielopvang: Over de aard van de incidenten en ervaringen van medewerkers

In 2015, the Netherlands were confronted with a strong increase in asylum applications. This high number of asylum seekers arriving in the country increased the pressure on the reception centres of The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). At the same time, an increasing number of incidents of violence and aggression were reported in the reception centres for asylum seekers (for example in the regular asylum seekers’ centres (azc), in the reception locations for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers (amv), and in the emergency accommodation). A safe and manageable living environment is of high significance for the residents living in the reception locations, as well as for the COA‐employees and the society as a whole. Therefore, it is necessary to gain deeper insight into the nature of these incidents and to understand how they can be prevented or handled effectively. Furthermore, it is important to determine the extent to which COA‐employees feel equipped to deal with these incidents. Accordingly, the aim of this research report was to answer the following questions:
1) What is the nature of incidents of violence and aggression in asylum seekers’ centres?; 2) To what extent do COA‐employees feel fully equipped to prevent or handle these incidents of violence and aggression in COA reception locations, and; 3) How could (new) insights be implemented to help prevent or effectively resolve incidents of violence and aggression in the future?
These questions were studied in this research project by means of four different methods: 1.) A review of the psychological literature into the characteristics of different types of aggression on the one hand, and determinants of aggression on the other hand; 2.) A statistical analysis of all incidents of violence and aggression that were registered in COA reception locations in 2016; 3.) An analysis of critical incidents, based on a survey in which 125 COA‐employees were asked to describe the incidents they felt they were able to handle effectively as well as incidents they did not feel well‐ equipped to deal with. These accounts were afterwards coded on content and type of aggression; and 4.) Interviews with 19 COA‐employees working at different types of reception locations.