Is social work a dangerous profession in China? An analysis of client violence towards social workers in central China

Abstract

Client violence is a persistent problem that seriously disturbs the physical and mental health of social workers worldwide; however, there is very limited discussion around this issue in China. This mixed-methods study included 602 social workers from three provinces in central China. The quantitative results (N = 602) revealed an overall level of violence of 48.17 per cent, with verbal violence being the most common. Significant differences were found in client violence by gender, work experience and field of work. The qualitative results (N = 20) revealed that client violence is closely related to the institution, culture and work patterns in the field. The results of this study can be combined with the Chinese social background and cultural context to discuss the reasons for lower levels of client violence in China compared to other countries.