Relationship of client abuse with locus of control and gender: a longitudinal study in mental retardation facilities

Direct-care workers (158 women and 154 men) participated in a study of aggressive work behavior. Employees completed J. B. Rotter's (1966) Locus of Control Scale. Client abuse data were collected over a 2-year period. Individuals reporting higher levels of external locus of control and men were more likely to emit aggressive behavior than were people reporting lower levels of external locus of control and women. Results supported the hypotheses and suggested that individual and group differences may be useful in understanding maladaptive, aggressive work behavior.