Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Compassion In The Ontario Child Welfare System., Gissele Taraba

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Child welfare workers are faced with suffering on a daily basis. Workers report experiencing empathetic distress (also known as compassion fatigue) and many feel discouraged from showing self-compassion or compassion toward others. However, the literature on compassion suggests that self-compassion and compassion for others builds resiliency, improves job satisfaction and increases engagement. Workers who support themselves with self-compassion may be less likely to experience burnout and more willing to create inclusive and compassionate environments. This study was conducted in two phases. The goals of the Phase 1 mixed-method, cross sectional study were to (1) assess the level of self-compassion and …

The Risk Of Risk: An Exploration Of The Impact Of “Risk” On Child Welfare Decision-Making, Jill K. Stoddart

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Objective: In this paper, child welfare decision-making is critically assessed in relation to Beck’s (1992) concept of ‘risk society’. Three key decisions made by child welfare workers during the initial investigation are examined in order to illustrate how risk influences the type of investigative approach used, the determinations about child maltreatment, and the services provided to children and families and to link theory with policy and practice.

Methods: The three exploratory studies all utilize secondary data from several cycles of the Ontario Incidence Study, which collects information directly from frontline child protection workers about incidence of reported maltreatment. Two studies …