Prevalence, types, and clinical distribution of patient-related violence toward dental students: a cross-sectional study

Prevalence, types, and clinical distribution of patient-related violence toward dental students: a cross-sectional study. Download PDF Abstract This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate overall exposure to patient-related violence, its types, and its clinical distribution among dental students during clinical training. A total of 129 dental students actively involved in patient care were included.

Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing overall exposure to patient-related violence and specific verbal, physical, and threat-related behaviors, along with associated factors such as gender and clinical specialty. Overall, 76.0% of participants reported having experienced patient-related violence during their clinical training. Verbal violence was the most common type (51.2%), whereas physical violence was rare (0.8%).

Female students reported significantly higher exposure to violence compared to male students (85.6% vs. Patient-related violence was reported across different clinical specialties, with endodontics being the most frequently reported specialty. Violence most frequently occurred during treatment procedures.

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