Violence, Threats and Intimidation in the Lives of Professionals Whose Work Involves Children

• NCJ Number: 205494
• Author(s): Freda Briggs; Donna Broadhurst; Russell Hawkins
• Date Published: February 2004
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Australian Institute of Criminology, Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice No. 273, February 2004.

Annotation

This research project examined the violence, threats, and intimidation that confront many professionals working in the area of child protection.

Abstract

This study was prompted by a similar study undertaken by the British Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (BAPCAN) when it was found that there has been growing international concern that professionals engaged in child protection are being subjected to increasing levels of violence, threats, and intimidation. A search of the literature revealed that only one overseas study had been conducted in this area and there had been no investigation across professional groups working in child protection in Australia. Professionals from different employment sectors who had child protection obligations were surveyed to ascertain levels of exposure to violence, intimidating behavior, and threats, and the effects of violence on their health, work, and well-being. A 35-item questionnaire was completed by 721 self-selected participants, of which 589 were used in the final analysis. Results revealed that 84 percent of the respondents were female, 23 percent were over age 50, and 68 percent were of Anglo Celtic heritage. The respondents came from a wide range of professions, with 36.3 percent being social workers, and 20 percent being teachers. Ninety-one percent of respondents had experienced intimidating behavior, 72 percent experienced threats of violence, 41 percent experienced ongoing harassment, and a smaller group, 24 percent, experienced actual physical assault. Further analysis of the data revealed that sex was a statistically significant predictor of some adverse events, and incidents of intimidating, threatening, or violent behavior occurred across a range of situations and child abuse cases. In addition, the effects of abusive behaviors were found to be chiefly psychological, with fear being the most reported response. The results of this study indicate that professionals working in child protection are experiencing high levels of abusive behaviors, and as a result are subject to a range of adverse effects. This situation could result in the rights and needs of abused children being ignored due to loss of productivity, increased fear, loss of commitment, and turnover of professionals in the field. Further research in this area is recommended. 13 references and 3 tables