Organizational justice and secondary traumatic stress among child welfare workers: The moderated mediation model

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is documented as a common occupational hazard among child welfare workers. We examined the moderated mediation effects of distributive, procedural, and interpersonal justice on child welfare workers' STS.

We analyzed survey data collected from 1,053 child welfare workers in a Midwestern state in 2018. Participants were asked to rate their STS and perceived organizational justice using valid scales. Hypotheses were tested using multiple regression and the PROCESS macro.

Distributive justice was a stronger factor associated with STS. The direct effect of procedural justice was not significant. However, it was associated indirectly with STS through distributive justice. Interpersonal justice was associated directly with STS. Furthermore, it moderated the association between distributive justice and STS.

Findings suggest that the different types of organizational justice have different functions in reducing child welfare workers' STS. This study can contribute to developing justice-oriented and trauma-informed organizations that prevent child welfare workers' STS and reduce its negative effects on themselves, organizations, and children in the child welfare system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).