The Decision-Maker Factors on the Perception of Child Maltreatment Among Chinese Child Social Workers

Background and Purpose:

Child maltreatment is a significant issue in Mainland China that requires urgent attention. Although the beneficial impact of perceiving child maltreatment is well-recognized, there has been limited research on the factors that influence this perception, especially from the viewpoint of child social workers. The study focused on exploring individual characteristics of child social workers, including gender, professional qualification, and graduate education. Moreover, it delves into the importance of professional identity attributes, particularly the perceptions of professional roles and the understanding of social work ethics. These elements were incorporated into the study’s model and found to be crucial in shaping child social workers’ perceptions of child maltreatment.

Methods:

Using a nationally representative random sample of 3,085 respondents from the initial wave of the China Social Work Longitudinal Study, the study used chi-square tests and independent-sample t-tests to examine variations in sociodemographic characteristics, social work ethics perceptions, professional roles, and types of child maltreatment (including emotional abuse, physical abuse, child labor, child neglect, and sexual abuse) cross three distinct identities. Furthermore, it utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the potential mediating role of child social workers’ understanding of social work ethics and their perceptions of professional roles in the relationship between three personal characteristics and their perceptions of child maltreatment.

Results:

We found that Chinese child social workers’ perceptions of child maltreatment were inconsistent, with particularly low scores for nonviolent behaviors. The findings indicate a significant association between gender and perceptions of child maltreatment. In addition, we found that the impact of graduate education and professional qualifications on these perceptions is indirectly influenced through the lens of social work professional identity, albeit through different mechanisms. Specifically, graduate education in social work enhances child social workers’ perception of child maltreatment by bolstering their self-confidence and beliefs regarding their professional roles. In addition, an understanding of social work values positively mediated the association of professional qualification with perception of child maltreatment. However, the study also found a negative indirect effect, where perceptions of role identity diminish the positive association between professional qualifications and perceptions of child maltreatment.

Conclusions and Implications:

The study validates the significant influence of the three decision-maker factors on the perception of child maltreatment among Chinese child social workers. It identifies social work professional identity as a potential mediator between graduate education—specifically, a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree—and the perception of child maltreatment. Child social workers with an MSW degree tend to have a stronger sense of role identity, which in turn positively affects their understanding of child maltreatment. Further, obtaining a professional qualification was found to enhance the perception of child maltreatment by deepening the knowledge and beliefs associated with social work values. There is a pressing need for policymakers, professional organizations, and academic institutions to develop a unified system that mitigates identity crises within the social work profession. The study also highlights the importance of implementing prevention-oriented strategies to aid Chinese child social workers in enhancing their perception of child maltreatment.