A survey released by the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation suggests social workers are increasingly concerned about wartime risks, with more than 80 percent saying they support emergency training.
The survey garnered 1,051 valid responses from current and prospective social workers, nearly 80 percent of who were women, the foundation said.
Results showed that respondents rated the likelihood of “Taiwan experiencing war in the future” 5.65 out of 10 on average.
Photo courtesy of the foundation
Their top five greatest concerns were: “air raids or armed conflict occurring at any time” (83.63 percent), “looting and physical violence over supplies” (82.59 percent), “shortages of essential supplies” (77.35 percent), “lack of medical care and medication” (72.40 percent), and “fear, panic, and post-traumatic stress symptoms” (69.84 percent), the foundation said.
The survey also found that even in a wartime setting, 78.12 percent of social workers said they would continue working if certain conditions were met, while 10.47 percent said they would be fully willing to do so.
However, that would depend on key safeguards, such as basic workplace safety protections (88.79 percent), security for their families (79.66 percent), and access to pre-conflict professional training (67.24 percent), the foundation said.
Meanwhile, 71.46 percent said they believed they would still be able to continue helping others even if they themselves were affected by war-related trauma.
As for the training most sought after by social workers, the survey showed the top areas include wartime psychological first aid (81.26 percent), the role and functions of social workers in wartime (80.30 percent), responding to violence and medical needs during conflict (75.64 percent), and trauma-informed care and secondary traumatic stress management (72.98 percent).
The foundation called on the government to quickly integrate social workers, psychologists and other helping professionals into Taiwan’s national resilience framework.
The government also needs to clear social worker roles before, during and after conflict, along with professional training, safety support systems and guidelines for transitioning between peacetime and wartime services, it said.
Citing international research, the foundation also highlighted that women, children and adolescents are especially vulnerable in conflict, often facing or witnessing sexual and gender-based violence, including sexual assault and intimate partner violence.
It urged the government to set up a wartime deployment framework to allow professionals to provide rescue, counseling, and treatment, helping to maintain social stability and support post-conflict recovery.
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