Study to uncover extent of violence against child protection professionals
Social workers who have experienced attacks, stalking, deep fake photos, violence or sexual assault are being invited to contribute to an online survey into violence against child protection professionals.
The survey, open to both current and former social workers, is being carried out by Edge Hill and Buckinghamshire New University and intends to "evaluate the extent and nature of threats, intimidation and violence being directed towards child protection professionals in contemporary Britain”.
Questions include confirming whether you have ever experienced threats of harm to yourself or family, threats of damage to property, violence, intimidation, deep fake photos, harassment, verbal abuse, physical attacks, stalking, misinformation, character assassination, poison pen letters, offensive/malicious/indecent emails or social media posts or messages, sexual harassment or sexual assault.
Respondents are also invited to give longer written examples of threats, intimidation, abuse or violence they have experienced.
The survey comes in the wake of a number of high-profile cases involving harm to social workers.
In 2023, a 12-year-old boy was charged with the murder of social worker Marcia Grant, described as a "pillar of the community" in Sheffield where she lived and worked.
Foster carer Marcia died outside her home after being killed with her own car by a boy in her care, who was also charged with possessing a knife.
In 2022 a Northern Ireland social worker was stabbed three times by a 16-year-old teenager on her caseload.
In 2021 a 61-year-old social worker was stabbed eight times carrying out a welfare check on children in Haringey in 2021.
The worker was left with ongoing pain and psychological damage following the attack by Sulai Bukhari, who was sentenced to a hospital order for attempted murder.
BASW’s 2022 annual survey of social workers and social work found nearly half of social workers have been verbally abused during work and a quarter threatened with physical violence.
Social work lobbied to be included in amendments to the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.
The 2022 amendments give tougher sentencing for assaulting workers including police officers, paramedics, public-facing NHS staff, firefighters and prison officers.
But despite social workers being described by BASW chief executive as the “forgotten emergency service”, the previous Conservative government refused to include them in the law change.
Take the anonymous and confidential 15-minute survey.