Fried Social Worker® Blog

Alarming Statistics
Consider these statistics from the Massachussetts Chapter of NASW’s Committee for the Study and Prevention of Violence Against Social Workers

 

• More than 50% of the social workers surveyed had been physically assaulted at work.

 

• More than 75% of the social workers surveyed had been verbally abused at work.

 

For detailed data regarding the prevalence of violence toward social workers in direct practice in the US, check out A National Survey of Violence in the Practice of Social Work. This study describes itself as "the first national sample study exploring overall prevalence rates as reported by direct-service social workers across practice settings paying particular attention to age, gender, race, and community size."

• Click here for the cached web page
• Click here to view the pdf document

 

Preventing Violence Against Social Workers

Here are a few links and resources from the Massachussetts NASW chapter to help you stay safe on the job.

• Stay Alert, Aware, Alive!
   
• Recommendations For Safety at Work
   
• Safety Guidelines For Social Workers
   
• Verbal De-Escalation Techniques for Defusing or Talking Down an Explosive Situation
   

From NASW

• Safety Need Not Conflict With Client Care

 

• Build Support For Resolution On Social Worker Safety

 

From OSHA

• Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care & Social Service Workers From the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 

 

HCON 278 IH
Don’t know what HCON 278 IH is? It’s a resolution in the US Congress to raise awareness of the need for safety of case workers and social workers. You can find out more here, including current sponsors.

 

More Articles

• In the Trenches  Primarily addresses issues of CPS and school social work violence.

 

• Fallen Heroes: Social Workers Killed in the Line of Duty  Tragically, this list is far from complete.

 

• Calming agitation with words, not drugs: 10 commandments for safety Violence assessment and de-escalation strategies.

 

 

For Our Friends in the UK

• You can go to the Department of Health’s web site and download the Violence Against Social Care Staff report from 2000.

 

• The Guardian has a somewhat dated article called Fighting Talk that’s worth a read.

 

• Find out what the Barefoot Social Worker has to say about client violence.

 

 

Books About Violence Toward Social Workers