Social work safety

Summary. Social work involves working in high risk areas and with high risk clients. This quantitative research analyses students in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program in relation to feelings of fear, and concern for safety in their field placement. The research consisted of 32 quantitative surveys which measured level of fear, experience with violence, attitude, and training. Findings. Participants who experienced violence had increased fear regarding their safety while working in the social work field. Additionally participants who were fearful about their safety were also fearful about speaking to a supervisor about it. Furthermore, preparation on safety issues in the MSW program and in field placements is limited to none. As far as attitude is concerned, it was found that most participants feel that social work is a dangerous job, and that encounters with violence should be expected. Applications. These findings have implications for the prevention of violence in the field of social work. If communication is not established between a student and his or her advisor due to fear of a negative evaluation, safety issues cannot be addressed and training may never take place