‘Anxiety, frustration and understanding’ : Swedish personal social service workers’ cognitive appraisals of encounters with violent clients

• Workplace violence and threats from social service users towards social workers (client violence) is a problem in Sweden and internationally. This article explores the circumstances that make client violence stressful to social workers who exercise public authority in Swedish individual and family social services. The empirical data are based on qualitative inter- views with social workers (n = 19) who, according to their own perception, have been threatened or assaulted by a client in relation to work. Theory on cognitive appraisal of threat and harm is used. The results, analysed by Inductive Thematic Analysis, show that client violence is stressful because it poses a threat to social workers’ professional identity and private life, and occurs in uncertain and repetitive ways. The results suggest that a negligent safety culture in social service agencies, characterized by normalization of client violence and limited organizational support, may contribute to stress related to client violence. The results are discussed in light of how social workers and social service agencies transact and affect each other.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Socialt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Social Work (hsv//eng)

Keyword

client violence; social services; workplace violence; cognitive appraisal; soical work; stress

Health-Promoting Work

Hälsofrämjande arbete

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)