Research:

29:T507,

In 2018, Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford's accusations of sexual assault against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and sexual assault convictions of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein prompted questioning of why sexual assault victims do not report incidents of sexual violence to law enforcement. A hashtag movement, #whyididntreport was started wherein people began sharing their stories of sexual violence and the reasons they didn’t report. Even though research investigating barriers to reporting sexual violence exists such open, voluntary accounts have not existed before nor have been studied. This study used data from a social media website Reddit to capture barriers to reporting sexual assaults. A qualitative thematic analysis was used to identify six themes through the lens of feminist and social control theories. These findings indicate that even with more readily available knowledge about sexual assault, understanding of consent is still lacking. In addition, the current political climate is adding to fear of consequences when reporting sexual assaults. The implications of these findings for social workers indicate the necessity of social worker's role not only in reporting and clinical work, but also in advocacy and policy work relating to sexual assault.

2a:T467,

Through in-depth interviews with nonprofit workers and full-time union organizers in the nonprofit sector, this qualitative study examines the causes, outcomes, and workers’ perceptions of the recent nonprofit worker unionization movement. We found that chronic low pay, substandard working conditions, and a concern for compromised services to clients were the impetus for workers’ labor organizing. Interviews revealed that existing unionization efforts yielded significant wins for workers. This shows that nonprofit organizations could figure out resources to reprioritize labor costs even though they face constraints by funders. Unionization also benefited nonprofit management, including favorable work policies applying to managers and reduced staff turnover. Previous literature suggests that the highly gendered and value-based labor dynamic in nonprofits is a barrier to labor organizing. We found that workers are reevaluating this sacrificing, “labor-of-love” logic and aligning workers’ rights with clients’ rights. This has transformed a barrier to a powerful facilitator for labor organizing.

2b:T481,

Healthcare settings are often one of the primary touch points for sex workers connecting with social services. This places social workers in hospital settings in an important role, using their clinical and social work training and education to make case recommendations based on the immediate needs of sex workers in their care. This qualitative study uses interviews to examine the decision-making processes of social workers in a hospital setting when making case recommendations for sex workers, as well as their attitudes towards sex work as a profession. Findings reveal how social workers, through their navigation of complex institutional networks, often employ decision-making tactics that reflect carceral social work logics and gatekeeping. We also find how other important factors, such as a social workers own professional experience, play an important role in these decision-making processes. We conclude by discussing how social work practitioners can critically interrogate their role within oppressive and carceral state structures to promote an anticarceral social work field that reflects the needs of sex workers in their care.

2c:T52e, Research:

The experience of obstetric violence is well documented. However, the impact on and experience of doulas and midwives who witness OV deserves more attention. The research questions that guided this study were: What types of harm are doulas and midwives witnessing, what factors influence their decision to intervene, and what impact does this experience have on their professional career and well-being?

Methods: