Forensic psychiatric inpatients are frequently exposed to aggression from fellow patients during their treatment, but research on how this impacts patients’ well-being and treatment progress is lacking.

In this study, we interviewed nine patients on their experiences of victimisation during mandatory psychiatric treatment. The interviews were analysed using a Grounded Theory approach in consensus between three researchers. Three main themes emerged from the data, namely situational descriptives, intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences. Patients were not only exposed to both physical violence and verbal aggression by other patients, but also to a more ubiquitous flow of micro-aggressive comments. Options to escape these situations were limited, resulting in fear, hypervigilance, avoidance, reactive aggression, flashbacks, and increased power differences between patients and staff. Victimization processes are not always timely noticed in an environment that focuses on risks and treatment of delinquent behavior. Recommendations for the implementation of trauma informed care are provided.