TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2018//
TI  - Violence against child protection workers: a study of workers' experiences, attributions, and coping strategies
JO  - Child abuse and neglect
A1  - Lamothe, Josianne
A1  - Couvrette, Amélie
A1  - Lebrun, Gabrielle
A1  - Yale, Gabrielle
A1  - Roy, Camille
A1  - Guay, Stephane
A1  - Geoffrion, Steve
SP  - 308
EP  - 321
VL  - 81
IS  - 
N2  - Child protection workers (CPWs) are frequently exposed to client violence, both psychological and physical, in their line of work whether they operate in the community or in residential settings. Despite this known vulnerability, research on the subject has lagged. The current study sought to analyze CPWs' experiences with client violence, their interpretation of it, its perceived consequences and their coping strategies. Specifically, 30 CPWs working both in the community and in residential settings, took part in an in-depth, semi-structured interview. A thematic analysis revealed that CPWs view client violence as a recurring and pervasive problem in their line of work. Residential workers described a greater frequency of violence, especially physical violence. CPWs however perceived violence differently, with some viewing this problem as 'part-of-the-job' while others described client violence as a 'call-for-help' on behalf of clients. Perceived consequences varied in severity and breath. CPWs reported consequences at the psychological (e.g. fear, hypervilence, sadness, nightmares), organizational (e.g. loss of motivation, turnover intention, sick leaves) and clinical levels (e.g. emotional detachment from clients, avoiding clients). CPWs also described numerous coping strategies, some effective while others appeared short-sighted. This study concludes with recommendations with regards to client violence in child protection work.<br><br>Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0145-2134
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.04.027
ID  - ref1
ER  -