Exploring the self-care practices of child welfare workers: A research brief

This article explores child welfare workers’ experiences of children’s participation in decision making in the child protection system. The systematic review follows the principles of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement and includes 12 peer-reviewed articles published in academic journals from 2009 to 2019. Findings indicate that children’s participation in decision making is generally limited or nonexistent. The age of the child is an important determining factor concerning whether the child is given the opportunity to participate in decision making. Potential harm for children that may result from participation is considered when deciding on whether to include a child in the decision-making process.

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Attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of child welfare workers toward LGBTQ youth

Journal of Public Child Welfare ◽

10.1080/15548732.2021.1940415 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Elizabeth Greeno ◽

Marlene Matarese ◽

Angela Weeks

Keyword(s):

Child Welfare ◽

Child Welfare Workers ◽

Lgbtq Youth ◽

And Behaviors ◽

Welfare Workers

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Parental Poverty, Physical Neglect and Child Welfare Intervention: Dilemma and Constraints of Child Welfare Workers in Ghana

Children and Youth Services Review ◽

10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106036 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 106036

Author(s):

Alhassan Abdullah ◽

Mary Ayim ◽

Hajara Bentum ◽

Clifton R. Emery

Keyword(s):

Child Welfare ◽

Child Welfare Workers ◽

Physical Neglect ◽

Welfare Workers

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Association between Work-Related Trauma Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Child Welfare Workers in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18073541 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 3541

Author(s):

Mayumi Kataoka ◽

Daisuke Nishi

Keyword(s):

Multivariate Analysis ◽

Child Welfare ◽

Traumatic Event ◽

Traumatic Events ◽

Child Welfare Workers ◽

Cumulative Number ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Work Related ◽

Welfare Workers

Child welfare workers often experience work-related traumatic events and may be at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can hinder early interventions for child abuse. This study examined the association between each single work-related traumatic event experienced by child welfare workers and the cumulative number of traumatic event types with PTSD symptoms. A checklist of traumatic events was used to investigate work-related traumatic events. The PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) was used to screen for PTSD symptoms. Two multivariate analyses were performed. A total of 140 workers were included in the analyses. In the first multivariate analysis, the event, “Witnessed a parent violently beating, hitting, kicking, or otherwise injuring a child or the other parent during work” (β = 11.96; 95% CI, 2.11–21.80; p < 0.05) and resilience (β = −0.60; 95% CI, −0.84 to −0.36; p < 0.01) were significantly associated with PTSD symptoms, as was resilience in the second multivariate analysis (β = −0.60; 95%CI, −0.84 to −0.36; p < 0.01). The association between the cumulative number of event types and PTSD symptoms was not significant, but it was stronger when the cumulative number was four or more. The findings suggest the importance of reducing child welfare worker exposure to traumatic events.

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