Compassion fatigue among social workers in juvenile offender systems in Chile

Abstract

In the past few decades, both the local and international press have addressed flaws within the juvenile justice systems in Chile. However, very few studies have examined the support provided to social workers working in this field. This article, using exploratory survey research methods, explores the perspective of social workers about how these systems support their well-being and overall work functioning. The survey uses a snowball sampling technique to reach social workers who work in nonprofit organizations serving juvenile offenders in the metropolitan region in Chile. The results show that social workers are experiencing moderate levels of compassion fatigue. Different issues emerged centered on a lack of organizational support related to teamwork, training, and pay.