Hostile words and assaultive behavior on an acute inpatient psychiatric unit

This report analyzes the relationship of hostile verbalizations to assaultive acts committed by 110 male schizophrenic patients on an acute psychiatric unit. It was found that patients who were verbally assaultive and threatening also tended to be physically assaultive. Assaults rarely occurred in the absence of verbal threats or abuse, and 32 per cent of violent patients could be identified on the basis of the occurrence of hostile verbalizations.