Job Satisfaction among Female Social Workers in Light of Their Subjection to Client Violence

ABSTRACT

The aim of the current study was to explore the job satisfaction construct among female social workers in the context of being subjected to client violence. For this purpose, the contribution of select work-related factors (length of work experience and pay), psychological factors (burnout and self-efficacy), and factors related to violence (fear of verbal and of physical violence) to explaining job satisfaction was examined among female social workers who had been subjected to client violence and those who had never been subjected to client violence. Structured questionnaires were administered to 573 female social workers. Among social workers not subjected to client violence, pay and fear of physical violence were related to job satisfaction. Among social workers subjected to client violence, however, job satisfaction was associated with self-efficacy and fear of verbal violence. Burnout contributed the most to explaining job satisfaction among all social workers.

KEYWORDS:

• Social workers
• client violence
• job satisfaction

Practice Points

• Social work is a profession comprised mostly women and a professional field where workers are often subjected to client violence.

• Subjection to workplace violence leaves its mark on the professional practice of social workers and, specifically, on how their perception of job satisfaction is structured.

• The intervention process aimed at improving the work-related quality of life of social workers, including their job satisfaction, should be adapted to their distinctive needs and characteristics with an emphasis on their work-related context, such as subjection to violence by their clients.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.