NCJ Number
148637
Journal
Child Welfare Volume: 73 Issue: 2 Dated: (March-April 1994) Pages: 173-179
Date Published
1994
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article presents findings and recommendations from a survey of case workers and supervisors of the Montana Department of Family Services (DFS) to determine the frequency of threats and violence directed against them.
Abstract
The questionnaire was sent to 267 DFS workers and supervisors. There were 166 usable questionnaires. The questionnaire defined an injury to a worker as "bruises, cuts, or some other external or internal injury." Only one of the 166 respondents reported having suffered such an injury in the previous 12 months. Eleven percent of the respondents reported noninjurious physical contacts, such as having been shoved, punched, or hit by a client. A few incidents involved nonclients who lived with or near the client. On the basis of the findings, the researchers concluded that one of every 10 workers is pushed, shoved, or hit by one or more agency clients each year. Eight percent of the respondents reported having had one or more "close calls" or "near misses" during the survey period. Ninety-seven percent of the respondents reported having been cursed or screamed at one or more times during the previous year. Given the prevalence of aggression against child protection workers, the article recommends ways of dealing with this situation. Recommendations pertain to staff training, staff selection, cooperation with police, precautionary procedures, communications technology, the design of interview rooms, staff counseling, and documentation of incidents. A list of 5 selected readings