Between Support and Struggle: Arab Social Workers Experiences with Community Violence in Israel

Background and Purpose: Community violence has become a central concern for social workers, particularly in relation to its impact on members of ethno-national minorities. Exposure to community violence includes direct victimization or indirect experiences such as witnessing violence, knowing victims, or hearing about incidents. This form of violence encompasses verbal, emotional, and physical abuse, sexual assault, weapon-related crimes, riots, and gang violence. Despite growing awareness of its harmful effects on well-being, the exposure of social workers and their clients within Arab society in Israel to community violence has received limited scholarly attention. This gap is especially notable given the significant rise in violence within the Arab community in 2024. Community violence results not only in physical harm but also in severe mental and emotional distress. Understanding its ripple effects is therefore crucial. This study focuses on exploring Arab social workers’ perspectives and experiences of community violence, particularly when they live and work in the same area.

Methodology: Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 social workers, 11 women and 3 men, all affiliated with the Department of Social Services. Participants ranged in age from 25 to 60 and brought diverse professional experience to the study, with careers spanning from five to thirty years.

Findings: The findings of this research reveal two pivotal themes, drawn from the nuanced experiences of Arab social workers with community violence. The first theme underscores the interconnected challenges faced by social workers across different domains. On a personal level, they experience a fragile sense of security and ongoing uncertainty. In the familial domain, they deal with fear and tension related to the safety of their family members. The second theme, related professional challenges, highlights the complexities of balancing the dual roles of living and working in the same community, especially in the context of community violence. This dual responsibility—being both residents and professionals—can significantly influence their practical decisions, due to their deep involvement and connection to the local environment. Alongside formal support from managers and instructors, informal peer support among colleagues plays a vital role in strengthening social workers’ ability to cope with the challenges of community violence.

Conclusions and implications: Given the intersectionality of social workers' identities, particularly women from ethnic minority groups, the challenges Palestinians face as a minority—worsened by political violence—necessitate examining how community and political violence intersect. This inquiry is crucial due to rising violence and its impact on families' mental health. The findings of this study make two significant contributions. Firstly, it extends the understanding of professional social workers exposed to community violence and their experience in personal and practice domains. Secondly, it underscores the importance of social support. Future studies should examine social workers’ exposure to violence and other stressors across various workplace settings and further explore the sociopolitical contexts affecting other vulnerable groups.