Surveys reveal that nearly half of social workers face verbal abuse, & up to 25% are threatened with physical violence during their careers. I want the Government to consider mandating minimum protective measures for social workers similar to those for the police and other emergency workers.

Yesterday, my car was attacked and I was threatened by a family. I wish this was the first time that this happened in my career but it is not. Several times in my 8 year career, I have feared for my safety. Social Workers can have the hardest conversations with families and this can cause a reaction that is aggressive and threatening. All we have to protect ourselves is our lanyard. I am asking for the same protective measures as the police. I believe we need GPS trackers, body-worn cameras and a panic alarm.