Social workers and workplace bullying: perceptions, responses and implications
1Center for Workforce Studies and Social Work Practice, National Association of Social Workers, 750 First Street, N.E., Suite 700, Washington, DC, USA. twhitaker@naswdc.org
Work (Reading, Mass.)
|May 29, 2012
Summary
Workplace bullying is prevalent among social workers, with over half experiencing hostile interactions. The profession needs strategies to help social workers identify and address bullying behaviors effectively.
Area of Science:
- Social Work
- Occupational Health Psychology
- Organizational Behavior
Background:
- Workplace bullying is a significant issue impacting employee well-being and organizational functioning.
- Social workers, due to the nature of their work, may be particularly vulnerable to workplace bullying.
- Existing research has not fully explored the prevalence and perceptions of workplace bullying within the social work profession.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine social workers' perceptions of workplace bullying.
- To assess social workers' ability to develop coping responses to workplace bullying.
- To identify factors associated with experiencing workplace bullying in social work.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews.
- Quantitative data collected via mailed questionnaires from 111 social workers in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
- Qualitative data gathered through semi-structured interviews with two self-identified targets of workplace bullying.
Main Results:
- 58% of social workers reported experiencing demeaning, rude, or hostile workplace interactions more than once in the past year.
- Targets of bullying were more prevalent in government/military and mental health outpatient organizations.
- Social workers in direct service (35%) and administration/management (29%) roles reported being targets of bullying.
Conclusions:
- Workplace bullying appears to be a considerable problem within the social work profession.
- The social work profession requires the development of specific tools and guidelines to address workplace bullying.
- Interventions should focus on helping social workers identify, confront, and eliminate bullying behaviors.
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