Client Violence: Interview with Dr. Christina Newhill

[Episode 35] In today's podcast, I talk with Dr. Christina Newhill, a nationally recognized expert on client violence and the author of Client Violence in Social Work Practice: Prevention, Intervention, and Research, published in 2003 by The Guilford Press. In today�s podcast, Dr. Newhill defines client violence, talks about why social workers should be concerned with client violence and identifies which social workers are at greater risk for violence. She discusses some ways to assess a client�s potential for violence, how to intervene with a violent or potentially violent client, and identifies some strategies for increasing worker safety. We end our interview with information about existing research and resources for social work educators.


Download MP3 [42:05]



Dr. Newhill is an Associate Professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh. Her primary interests are in community mental health services and the care and treatment of clients with severe and persistent mental illness, with a particular interest in the assessment of violent behavior. Dr. Newhill's articles have been published in the top social work and psychiatric journals. Her research has been funded by the local and federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes for Mental Health.

Interview Questions

1. Are some social workers more at risk than others?
2. How do you assess a client's potential for violence, specifically towards the social worker?
3. How do you intervene with a client who appears to be escalating or who is violent?
4. What are some strategies for increasing worker safety in a solo-practice setting? in an agency setting?
5. What are the NASW guidelines for dealing with violent and aggressive clients?
6. What research has been conducted in this area?
7. If a social work educator was listening to this podcast and wanted to integrate content about client violence into BSW/MSW courses, what resources or information could you provide that might help them?

Links and Resources

• Allen, G. (2004, October 23). Death of Social Worker Spurs Safety Campaign. All Things Considered. National Public Radio [Electronic Resource] http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4124131 [4:00]


• Barron, J. (2008, February 14). Working in mental health, the prospect of violence is a part of the job. New York Times. NY region, p. 22. [interview with Dr. Newhill]


• Cramer, M & Moskowitz, E. (2008, February 8). Social worker slain; client charged: Suspect also stabbed self, police say. The Boston Globe. Retrieved online February 15, 2008 at http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/08/social_worker_slain_client_charged/


• Newhill, Christina E. (2003). Client Violence in Social Work Practice: Prevention, Intervention and Research. New York: Guilford.


• Newhill, C. E. (n.d.) Client violence workshop handout. Author.


• The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has a page on their website with links to information and resources on social work safety: http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/events/safety1006/default.asp

APA (6th ed) citation for this podcast:

Singer, J. B. (Producer). (2008, March 3). #35 - Client violence: Interview with Dr. Christina Newhill [Episode 35]. Social Work Podcast [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://socialworkpodcast.com/2008/03/client-violence-interview-with-dr.html