Tom A. Croxton

A National Survey of Violence in the Practice of Social Work

Social workers are at risk of violence in the workplace. Some of this violence has been attributed to deinstitutionalization and the very nature of problems addressed by social workers. Yet, we know very little about nationwide prevalence of such incidents. In this study, the authors look at a national sample of social workers drawn from the membership of the National Association of Social Workers, with particular attention to race, gender, and practice context. Data suggest that verbal abuse is quite common, whereas threats of assault and actual assault are less common, but problematic. Being young and male places a worker at higher risk, and public and nonprofit agency practitioners report many more incidents than workers in private practice.

Race, Practice Behaviors and the NASW Code of Ethics

Abstract The NASW Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers. While the code is relatively comprehensive, it is viewed as a set of guidelines, and social workers are not necessarily obligated to abide by the code. This study examines the perceptions of African American (n = 219), Asian American (n = 185), Hispanic (n = 185), and White (n = 502) social workers on the appropriateness of a variety of professional behaviors utilizing random samples from the NASW membership directory.

Privacy Rights of Adolescent Women: Counseling Dilemmas

A review of legal perspectives on the competence and rights of adolescents points to special counseling dilemmas that arise in serving young women. Attention is directed toward professional social work responses that would enhance the privacy rights of adolescent women.