In “Ticket Inspectors in Action: Body-Worn Camera Analysis of Aggressive and Nonaggressive Passenger Encounters,” Friis et al. (2020) shed some light on how behaviors during encounters can lower victimization risks while on the job. The study was conducted in Denmark where passengers aboard the public transport system are required to purchase a ticket to ride prior to boarding the bus or be subject to fines.
The research team of Friis et al. (2020) used several descriptive methods to set up this research. First, they used naturalistic observation of transport personnel to develop a system to quantify types of inspector behaviors. Ticket inspectors’ actions were defined as authoritative, physically dominate, or accommodative (Friis et al., 2020).
Researchers also used natural observation to record passenger actions toward the inspectors. Next, Friis et al. (2020) conducted surveys of the inspectors to determine how the observed passenger actions were perceived by the inspectors. During the experiment, the actual data was gathered when ticket inspectors recorded their interactions with patrons on the public bus system with body-worn cameras.
Through ticket inspectors use of the body-worn cameras, researchers gathered footage of 123 interactions where ticket fines were written on public buses (Friis et al., 2020). Upon completion of the qualitative rating of the ticket inspector’s communication style, findings showed a positive correlation between passenger aggression and ticket inspectors who spoke with authoritative commands or showed physical dominance during the encounter. There was a negative correlation between accommodating inspectors and passenger aggression.
According to Friis et al. (2020), service employees who have authoritative power have the opportunity to get into character contests with every encounter. The interactions between the authoritarians and the public they serve are shaped by the communication skills of the authoritative figure. By using more accommodating language, the authoritative figure can keep the aggression in the confrontation from escalating and lower their chances of becoming victims of violent acts.
The strength of this study lies in its use of the body-worn cameras. This allowed a more naturalistic observation since researchers could observe behaviors of both the inspectors and the passengers before, during, and after the fines were being issued. The research did fall prey to bias because inspectors had the ability to turn recordings on and off so inspectors who worried about employers using the videos may not have recorded all encounters (Friis et al., 2020).
However, the study provided strong observations into potential aggressive behaviors that employees may encounter as public servants. The results from this study could improve training of employees or change hiring practices in jobs where there is potential for conflict.
