Client Violence and Burnout Among Child Protection Caseworkers: The Moderating Role of Gender

Background and Purpose: Child protection caseworkers are frequently exposed to client-perpetrated violence due to intensive, face-to-face service delivery, yet its impact on burnout remains insufficiently examined. Persistent exposure to violence represents a key occupational risk that may undermine workforce sustainability, and its effects may differ by gender. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources model, this study examines the relationship between client-perpetrated violence and burnout and investigates the moderating role of gender.

Methods: This study used survey data from 143 caseworkers in child protection services in South Korea. Client-perpetrated violence was measured as the sum of direct and indirect experiences over the past year, and burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Gender was included as a moderating variable. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted, controlling for demographic characteristics (e.g., age, education, tenure), organizational factors (e.g., leadership, interagency collaboration barriers), and regional context.

Results: Most caseworkers (90.2%) reported experiencing at least one form of client-perpetrated violence. Verbal violence was most prevalent (81.8%), followed by emotional (43.4%), physical (30.8%), and sexual violence (24.5%), with similar patterns for indirect violence. Regression analyses indicated that both direct and indirect violence were associated with increased burnout, and gender significantly moderated this relationship, with stronger effects observed among female caseworkers. High-intensity violence, including physical and combined physical and sexual violence, showed particularly strong effects on burnout, with more pronounced gender differences.

Conclusions and Implications: Client-perpetrated violence is a central occupational risk contributing to burnout, with differential effects by violence intensity and gender. Gender differences in the violence–burnout relationship indicate that similar levels of violence may produce unequal outcomes, underscoring the need for equity-sensitive interventions. Policy responses should recognize client violence as a structural issue and include standardized reporting systems, severity-based intervention strategies, and expanded organizational supports such as team-based debriefing and psychological services.