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Child welfare workers go to court: The impact of race, gender, and education on the comfort with legal issues

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  • Faller, Kathleen Coulborn
  • Grabarek, Marguerite
  • Vandervort, Frank

Abstract

This study examines perceptions of 425 public and private agency child welfare workers from one state in terms of their level of comfort with the court work components of their jobs, at baseline, which is after their initial training but before beginning their child welfare work, and again after six months on the job. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were undertaken. Bivariate analyses reveal that being older and male were associated with higher court comfort levels at baseline and at six months. Being white was associated with higher comfort levels at six months. In addition, private agency workers were more comfortable with court at baseline and six months. Workers with a social work education had higher court comfort levels at baseline and six months, when compared to those with criminal justice or other education. In the multivariate analysis, there were no significant differences in level of comfort with court work based upon worker characteristics at baseline. However, at six months on the job, predictors of comfort with child welfare work were being white and being male; having a social work education approached statistical significance. When change in comfort level was examined, the only significant positive predictor of court comfort was having a social work education.

Suggested Citation

  • Faller, Kathleen Coulborn & Grabarek, Marguerite & Vandervort, Frank, 2009. "Child welfare workers go to court: The impact of race, gender, and education on the comfort with legal issues," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(9), pages 972-977, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:31:y:2009:i:9:p:972-977
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rittner, Barbara & Wodarski, John S., 1999. "Differential uses for BSW and MSW educated social workers in child welfare services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 217-238, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chenot, David & Boutakidis, Ioakim & Benton, Amy D., 2014. "Equity and fairness perceptions in the child welfare workforce," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 400-406.
    2. Lens, Vicki & Katz, Colleen Cary & Suarez, Kimberly Spencer, 2016. "Case workers in family court: A therapeutic jurisprudence analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 107-114.
    3. Chenot, David & Benton, Amy D. & Iglesias, Michelle & Boutakidis, Ioakim, 2019. "Ethnic matching: A two-state comparison of child welfare workers' attitudes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 24-31.

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