Social workers denounce workplace violence: "User frustration is paid out on us."

Barcelona"Sometimes a user comes and takes out their frustration on us, calling us and insulting us." It's just one example of what social workers experience on a daily basis, caring for people who take out their feelings of institutional abuse on the professional in front of them. Social workers also complain that they are increasingly having to deal with threats, violence, and intimidation.In just a few years we have gone from dealing with hooligans to dealing with psychopaths.", complained an educator at the rally held in Barcelona in protest against the murder of a colleague in Badajoz.

More than a personal feeling, violence against social workers is more structural, given the figures in the report prepared by the Official College of Social Work of Catalonia and presented. In addition to these professionals, they indicate having received verbal aggression, and 15% violent behavior or threats of physical violence. In 0.3% of cases, the violence is committed by colleagues or heads of the department or entity. ESC, which was also published this Thursday. verbal aggression or physical cornering, 25% violent behavior, 8% threats of physical violence, and 1.4% sexual harassment. The survey does not ask who carries out the violence, but Olga Giner, a member of the CEESC board, assures that the vast majority is perpetrated by users: "We have risky work, we work with at-risk, vulnerable groups, in prisons or in the justice system." youthful".

Feminized professions

Both social work and education are two occupations where women predominate, more than 80% specifically. Among social workers, 36% admit they would not return to their studies, a consideration Giner attributes to the poor working conditions in the private sector. Sixty percent of these professionals work in organizations and companies, often hired by public authorities, but earn less than their colleagues with public positions. "It shouldn't be this way: equal work, equal pay," affirms the head of the CEESC, who also calls for a "revaluation of the profession as essential professionals who work 365 days a year, 24 hours a day." In this regard, Giner points out that it is necessary to guarantee job security, but also that public administrations must ensure job stability in the tenders they issue. Thus, a third of professionals make the jump to local governments when they have the opportunity

This same instability and low salaries explain why half of social workers leave the profession. In this sector, 60% have public positions and 20% work for a non-profit organization. Just under half earn between the minimum wage and €27,000 gross per year. Excessive workload also plays a role. increasingly with more bureaucracy and more people to serve.