Professional–Client Power Dynamics

Norms around physical contact have shifted over time, with previously standard comforting gestures later discouraged in the name of professional distance, leaving interactions feeling cold and impersonal. The power imbalance inherent in the professional–client relationship underpins strict legal prohibitions on intimate contact during and after treatment. Gendered dynamics affect how professionals experience client transgressions, with the same comment causing significant distress to a female colleague but being shrugged off by a male colleague. Healthcare professionals can experience feelings of attraction toward clients but reported being able to regulate such feelings without acting on them. False accusations of SBV cause serious emotional harm to the accused individual and can destabilise the team. Handling a false accusation creates a genuine dual duty, requiring organisations to ensure the reporting client feels heard while simultaneously protecting the accused colleague. Heterosexual male healthcare workers were identified as particularly vulnerable to false accusations, with some avoiding one-on-one contact with female clients as a self-protective strategy.