The Emotional Effects of Child Protection Work on the Worker

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Abstract
This paper describes and analyses the emotional impact of child protection work on staff. Two models are used for this, an organisational stress model, and an adaption ofSummit's Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome. Attention is drawn to both the primary effect of clients on workers and the secondary effect of the organisational response to worker distress. Factors conducive to ameliorating the alienating work environment are considered, looking at differential responsibilities within the organisation. This paper is relevant to staff at all levels of the organisation, and it is suggested that group discussion would be a particularly appropriate way of responding to the material. This paper was first presented as a key-note address at the BASPCAN Spring Conference in April 1990.