The influence of specialised training on the experience of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among social workers conducting child sexual abuse investigations

Abstract

Compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction are prevalent in social workers employed in all fields of social work, including social workers conducting child sexual abuse investigations. This study aims to determine the influence of specialised training on the experience of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among this group of social workers. A quantitative approach was followed with the assistance of a measuring tool (scale) in order to determine the compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction profiles of social workers conducting child sexual abuse investigations. A possible relationship between the specialised training of participants and their compassion satisfaction and fatigue profiles were investigated in order to determine whether specialised training have an influence on the experience of compassion fatigue and satisfaction among social workers rendering services in this field of social work. This study found that social workers with specialised training rendering services in the investigation of child sexual abuse, experienced a higher level of compassion satisfaction and subsequently have an increased chance of turning their stress into compassion satisfaction compared to social workers dealing with child sexual abuse cases without specialised training.