Committee for the Study and Prevention of Violence Against Social Workers

As an Information Group of NASW, this committee helps facilitate safety in the workplace for social workers by:

• Promoting increased safety for social workers in all settings in which they practice
• Attempting to better understand why violence occurs and develop strategies to diminish violence
• Helping to improve clinical and administrative management of violent clients
• Supporting social workers and their families after an occurrence of work related violence

You do not need expertise in client violence to participate. All you need is a desire to help.

What We Do:

The NASW Committee for the Study and Prevention of Violence Against Social Workers is a resource for teaching, training, and consulting to individual social workers, agencies and schools of social work in the areas of:

• Clinical treatment of violent clients
• Assessment of the potential for violence
• De-escalation of explosive situations
• Non-violent self defense
• Post-traumatic stress reactions and the aftermath of assaults
• Administrative safety policies and safety procedures
• Analysis of institutional practices contributing to client violence
• Advocacy for safety policy and regulations in all agencies
  

Help Us Help You

The NASW Committee for the Study and Prevention of Violence Against Social Workers has established a statewide log of violent occurrences and threats of violence against social workers. Our goal is to track and further understand the dangers that social workers may encounter in and around the workplace. This information will be used to make a safer work environment for workers and clients. We are asking social workers to report to the Committee any physical or verbal assaults or threats which they have experienced or witness. Reporting may be done anonymously.

Did You Know*

• More than 1/2 of social workers in Massachusetts * have been physically assaulted in a work related incident (assaults range from pushing, hitting, and choking to life-threatening attacks)
• More than 3/4 have been verbally abused
• More than 1/3 have had a weapon brought into the workplace
• Over 3/4 have been frightened, even without physical or verbal threat or assault
  
  * Based upon a survey of 1,000 Massachusetts NASW members and review of literature.

Anyone interested in learning more about workplace safety for social workers, please write the Committee for the Study and Prevention of Violence Against Social Workers c/o NASW 14 Beacon Street, Suite 409, Boston, Massachusetts 02108, or call the Chairperson, Eva Skolnik-Acker at her office (617) 930-7425.