Exposure to Community Violence: Mental Health Outcomes in Social Workers

Background: High rates of exposure to community violence (CV) can lead to negative behavioral and psychological consequences in children, youth, young adults, and parents. This study focuses on interpersonal behavior that threatens or causes injury, including assaults, chasing, the sight of weapons, and gunfire, in a community setting (such as on roads or outside homes). Exposure to such violence includes both direct experiences (e.g., personal victimization, chasing, or beating) and indirect experiences (e.g., witnessing physical threats, hearing gunshots, learning about violent events or learning about victimized individuals).

Social workers play a crucial role in supporting clients exposed to CV, but may also face challenges when exposed themselves. To date, no research has been conducted on social workers' exposure to CV in Israel and its potential consequences, particularly when they share the traumatic reality of their clients. This study examines the impact of CV on the mental health of social workers who live and work in the same communities as their clients.

Method: A qualitative approach was used. Data was carried out by the means of in-depth personal interviews in Arabic among 30 Arab social workers from the Social Services Department in Israel. Each interview took approximately an hour and was audio recorded and transcribed, with omitting the identifying details.

The analyses were encoded in stages: The transcribed text was first coded thematically; next, similarities and differences between the interviews were evaluated, and themes were grouped to create broader structures. During analysis, comparisons were repeated between interviewees.

Results: A thematic analysis revealed three main themes; 1. social workers witness and experience violence in various forms, including direct and indirect events. Violence often occurs between large extended families (clans) involved in criminal activities and weapon use. This exposure affects social workers' mental health and personal and professional functioning; 2. Social workers prioritize their safety and that of their loved ones, which limits their ability to provide effective support. Because they must take extra precautions they may choose to avoid going to neighborhoods where there is serious conflict between families; 3. There are no formal instructions on the social worker’s proper response to community violence. Yet although social workers have no official mandate to intervene, they help individuals process loss in instances of suicide and provide emotional support to those affected by murder.

Conclusions and Implications

The study found that exposure to community violence in the context of Arab Israeli social work is complex and has impacted both personal and professional lives. Social workers are skeptical about the effectiveness of resolving conflicts between extended families through the "Solha" program, as they feel that the authorized parties may not have the necessary expertise and professionalism in the field. Social workers do not believe welfare services alone can solve the problem. Policy makers should develop multi-system intervention programs specifically adapted for Arab society in order to mitigate the negative consequences of exposure to CV for social workers.