I just read an article in the Straits Times (dated 6 Jul 2013), entitled The Price of Not Raising Social Workers' Pay. I like what the writer (Ms Ang Bee Lian) has written. Incidentally, the writer is the Chief Executive of the National Council of Social Service.
In the article, Ms Ang wrote about the 'personal risk many social workers undertake when they work in difficult situations where they intervene to protect vulnerable people...' This brought to my mind an incident that happened years ago when I visited a totally blind elderly client, who lived with a mentally ill son. During the visit, her son suddenly came out of the kitchen with a knife and aimed it at me. Fortunately, nothing happened. Another personal risk that social workers may face is the possibility of being raped. (I have heard about social workers being raped in Hong Kong.)
Besides personal risk, social workers may also face sexual harassment. Personally, I have experienced that on many occasions. :( It can be a mental torture. :(
I'd like to quote part of the last paragraph in the article:-
The question should not be whether we can afford to pay social workers a competitive wage, but whether we can afford not to, and leave social issues and social injustice to fester...