Client Violence towards Childcare Workers: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Client violence against childcare workers is a relevant problem due to its impact on their well-being and the service they provide due to their significant role in the child protection process. This study explored violence against childcare workers using a systematic literature review. PubMed, Science Direct, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar were searched for studies that included the words workers, childcare workers, child protection workers, social workers, user violence, client violence, child violence, parental violence, client aggression, client-perpetrated violence, residential childcare, childcare centres, and/or child protection centres. A total of twenty studies were included. Most studies described violent incidents, often directly involving children or their parents. The results indicate that the effects of violence significantly impact the life and well-being of workers and those workers and organizations naturalize it. It is necessary to advance in the denaturation of violence in the workplace and agree on a violence definition to implement preventive measures such as induction, training, and supervision.