Violence against social workers has become an inherent risk of the profession and undeniably one that needs to be addressed on a national scope.
Christina Newhill, PhD, ACSW, conducted a client violence survey of 1,129 social worker respondents.
- 58% of the respondents had directly experienced an incident of client violence,
- and more than 63% were aware of colleagues who had experienced client violence.
According to a study from the NASW Center for Workforce Studies, social workers with the least amount of experience (zero to five years) are most likely to experience safety issues on the job. They are also more likely to work in mental health or child welfare agencies. In the same study, 44 percent of respondents said that they face personal safety issues in their primary employment practice. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that more assaults (48 percent) occur in the health care and social services industry than any other.
Social workers are employed in a variety of settings where safety is a major concern. These include child welfare agencies, correctional facilities, community mental health centers, recovery clinics, psychiatric facilities, and even schools and hospitals.
As a social worker, you most likely entered your profession with the full understanding that you would work with vulnerable, at-risk populations and, as such, could be faced with difficult and even dangerous challenges. Your clients may be court-ordered to receive your services, suffering from poverty, or angry about their situation.
However, what could be missing from your preparation is a formalized training program in risk reduction and workplace violence. If you have received no formal training, you must be thoughtful about the steps you can take to keep yourself and your clients as safe as possible.
Here are some suggestions:
- Watch for antecedent behaviors such as verbal threats.
- Maintain clear boundaries and address boundary violations as they arise.
- If at all possible, do not work alone.
- If you have concerns about a client, seek peer consultation or supervision.
- Maintain an unlisted telephone number and home address.
- Seek assistance from the legal system if warranted.
- Conduct a thorough clinical risk assessment of every client.
- Determine prior history of violence, drug/alcohol use, and weapon use.
