Social work
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Sex trafficking (ST), a contemporary form of female slavery, is a human rights issue of critical concern to social work. The global response to ST has been substantial, and 166 countries have adopted anti-ST legislation. Despite considerable efforts to combat ST, the magnitude is increasing. ⋯ Therapeutic services to assist pornography addicts and purchasers of sexual services are also necessary. In this article, authors examine current anti-ST policies, programs, and services, both domestically and globally, and present an innovative paradigm that addresses social inequities and emphasizes prevention programming. They conclude with a discussion of the paradigm's implications for social work policies, practices, and services.
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Social workers are at risk for experiencing burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of the nature of their work and the contexts within which they work. Little attention has been paid to the factors within a social worker's control that may prevent burnout and STS and increase compassion satisfaction. ⋯ It was hypothesized that higher levels of empathy would be associated with lower levels of burnout and STS, and higher levels of compassion satisfaction. Findings suggest that components of empathy may prevent or reduce burnout and STS while increasing compassion satisfaction, and that empathy should be incorporated into training and education throughout the course of a social worker's career.
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In light of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's goals of better patient care, cost control, and improved population outcomes, prevention has emerged as an important component of health reform. Social work, with its extensive involvement in the health system and deep roots in public health, can benefit from a better understanding of its role in prevention. This study builds on the Social Work Interest in Prevention Study (SWIPS), which evaluated extent, type, and levels of prevention content in nine social work journals from 2000 to 2005. ⋯ A secondary analysis focused on topics within social work prevention, with violence, aging, and disease as primary focal areas. The findings suggest that although prevention interest appears to be growing, it remains a minority focus in the profession's journals. A national conversation on prevention can help expand the profession's role in health reform at this critical time.
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Immigration detention is a hot contemporary issue in the United States, with over 33,000 individuals held in detention facilities daily and reports of poor conditions and human rights abuses. Building on a growing body of theory exploring the role of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in social services provision, and seeking to address a gap in the literature concerning services provided to immigrants in detention, this qualitative study explored the responses of FBOs to immigration detainees. ⋯ Simultaneously, they face challenges surrounding access and constricted activity. The study indicates that considerable scope exists for expanding and enhancing faith-based and other social work engagement in this crucial field.
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Observational Study
Are sexual assault victims presenting to the emergency department in a timely manner?
Social workers regularly assist sexual assault victims and would benefit from a greater understanding of causes for delayed presentation to seek medical care. Delays in presentation of sexual assault victims affect the legal value of collected evidence. The authors of this study sought to characterize the nature and frequency of delayed presentation among victims. ⋯ Of the victims who documented whether they knew the perpetrator, 63 percent knew the perpetrator, with 58 percent of these presenting delayed. Knowing the perpetrator was significantly associated with delayed presentation. Age, ethnicity, and gender were not associated with delayed presentation.