Social Worker's Vulnerability for Trauma Exposure: The Intersectionality of Practice Setting, Race and Ethnicity, Gender, and Familial Veteran Status

Background/Purpose: Across settings, social workers engage with client populations that face inequities and are subsequently and disproportionately touched by trauma. However, traumatic experiences of the practitioner are often overlooked while expected to perform in a manner that is cognizant of these unique experiences. Differential exposure to trauma based upon demographic characteristics has been studied among various populations. However, trauma disparities among social work professionals remain unclear; even less is known about the impact trauma may have on their practice. Data are presented on personal trauma history, professional vicarious trauma (VT) and retraumatization experiences among social work students in relation to race and ethnicity, gender, and familial veteran status to explore how some may be more vulnerable than others when these variables intersect.

Methods: Data from two MSW programs and one BSW program are used to assess racial and ethnic, gender, and familial veteran status differences in both personal trauma history and professional VT experiences among students (n=338). Matched pretest and posttest data specific to field placement settings (n= 87) provide additional context to VT and retraumatization. Measures used to assess various aspects of trauma include: the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) score, the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS), the Impact of Event Scale- Revised (IES-R), and the Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ).

Results: Findings indicate differences in cumulative scores for the STSS, IES-R, and TSQ among race and ethnicity, gender, and familial veteran status categories. ACE scores show no differences in relation to gender but significant differences in relation to other variables. Matched data reveals that overall field experiences show differences among race and ethnicity; STSS scores have the most significant increase among African American and Hispanic respondents compared to Caucasian and all respondents combined. Between genders, males see a reduction in STSS scores while females show a marked increase with a 6.46 mean difference at posttest. Individuals currently serving in the military were more likely than their children, spouses, or retired military, to show differences between all pretest and posttest measures. The IES-R shows the largest increase between pretest and posttest relative to field placement type. Surprisingly, some measure’s mean scores decrease in relation to the type of field placement suggesting that setting, and possible retraumatization and exposure to VT, may influence outcomes. For example, those in public welfare, forensic, and family practice settings experience substantial STSS score increases regardless of race and ethnicity, gender, and familial veteran status, and, are more likely to have a history of trauma.

Conclusions/Implications: Data indicate that, much like studies of other populations, social work students have disproportionate trauma experiences based on race and ethnicity, gender, and familial veteran status. However, findings indicate that exposure to retraumatization and VT associated with professional work can differ greatly based on practice setting thus mediating and moderating outcomes. Practice implications suggest that social workers who face the intersectionality of traumatizing work settings along with particular race and ethnicity, gender, and familial veteran status characteristics may require additional assistance during training and as an ongoing component of professional development.