Spring 2025 Issue

Advocates in Danger
By Ron Zayas
Social Work Today
Vol. 25 No. 2 P. 26

Protection Strategies to Keep Social Workers Safe

Ten years ago, Social Work Today published an article entitled “Violent Crime and Social Worker Safety.” The article illustrated—in sometimes frightening detail—how social workers can experience dangerous situations in their profession.

“In the past few years alone, we have witnessed the fatal stabbing of a clinical social worker in Boston, the deadly beating of a social service aide in Kentucky, the sexual assault and murder of a social worker in West Virginia … and the brutal slaying of social worker Teri Zenner in Kansas,” the article states. “These are only a few of the murders of our colleagues, which, along with numerous assaults and threats of violence, paint a troubling picture for the profession.”

Since then, sadly, the danger has only become more pronounced. Social worker Eva Gawronski, her husband, and her infant daughter were attacked in their Los Angeles home by one of her former patients. The man waited until the family entered the house, poured gasoline through a window, and lit it with an emergency traffic flare.

And while each incident is unique, there are two obvious common threads that must be acknowledged. First, social workers are in close contact every day with clients in emotional and vulnerable situations. And while the social worker is there to help, it is not always viewed that way. Second, individual social workers and the organizations that represent them need to do more to finance and promote effective safety measures.

The latter point was driven home by a survey of more than 1,000 social workers conducted by NASW, in which 58% of the respondents had directly experienced an incident of client violence, and more than 63% were aware of colleagues who had experienced client violence.

A generation ago, the government buildings that house social services organizations could function with minimal security provisions. That changed after the Oklahoma bombing, the 9/11 attacks, and a dramatic increase in threats against social workers and government employees. Enhanced fortification has dissuaded many from carrying out threats, but those determined to seek retribution are now more likely to do so away from the social worker’s office—at their home instead.

As one social worker confessed, the biggest concern used to be a client following him home and finding out where he lived, essentially putting his family in a potentially dangerous situation. Today, that client can go online and find their social worker’s address with a quick Google search.

We are also now living in a political and social climate that fosters division and resentment, which can also lead to violence. As another social worker put it, “People became unhinged after 2020’s events, so whoever represents the government or an institution is now a target. We got actual threats and not just threats out of frustration.”

Privacy: Not Just for Clients
Social workers are entrusted not just with their clients’ health and wellbeing but also with protecting their clients’ privacy. Unfortunately, social workers often neglect their own privacy. Virtually anyone can search for an individual online and locate their home address, names of spouses and children, and even where family members work or go to school. Searches like these are so easy that they can often be completed in the heat of the moment.

Whether the information is found through a commercial “people finder” site that resells public information, through a malicious private site concerned with a specific individual, or simply released through one of the daily breaches of collected data that happens in this country, the information is out there.

Websites and social media have become the go-to sources for anyone disappointed or angry at the outcome of a decision that affects marriages, children, and homes. A crude website might be created to target that individual perceived as responsible. In one California community, someone made a YouTube video about his caseworker, with images and information he compiled from research, social media, and other resources online.

Some will turn to Facebook or X to post heart-wrenching stories that do not provide an accurate representation of events (eg, “The state took my children away”). Posts like these can be widely shared to generate support, which in turn can escalate into threats against the alleged instigator of an injustice. As online words get sharper, people react more viscerally and may eventually carry out violent actions in the real world.

Other methods of retribution predate the internet but have been made easier by the information it provides: Contacting family members of the social worker with intimidating threats, placing false ads promoting an open house at the social worker’s residence, having pizzas or magazines delivered to their door, or signing them up for dating services.

Protecting the Protectors
Privacy protection has come to the forefront because many of the attacks on judges in recent years have originated from information found online. Some states, and even the federal government, have either introduced or passed bills that move judges and law enforcement professionals into protected classes, allowing them to petition for the removal of their personal data online. Federal legislation was proposed to make attacks against social workers an automatic felony, but not much progress has been made on its passage. Only one state—Colorado—has such a law in place.

As more states pass consumer privacy laws, it may one day be possible for everyone, regardless of profession, to contact data brokers and request that their home address and other personal information be removed. But even this is not a permanent solution. Some states require that content only be taken down for a limited period. In other cases, a removal request for Jim Evans may be granted, while Jim J. Evans (same person) remains on the site.

There is also the likelihood that new content will emerge to replace any that was previously removed. Refinancing a residence, getting a new credit card, getting married or divorced, or selling/buying a home can flood databases with fresh information.

Even when statutes include punitive fines against data brokers for noncompliance, the onus remains on the individual to take the initiative. Most will become frustrated after having to repeat the same removal requests to dozens, if not hundreds, of websites every few months, eventually surrendering to what seems an inevitable situation.

Daily Dangers
The routines and habits of social workers can also be exploited in potential attacks. The journey from home to work and back is one obvious example. Most of us take the same route every day, which exposes a clear vulnerability. Social work clients already know the start/end point of these commutes. It would not be difficult to identify the make and model of a social worker’s car and wait for them to leave.

Parking garages in some government buildings have become more secure and may require a code for entry and exit. But for those with a clear line of sight, the time a car is stopped waiting for the gate arm to raise is more than sufficient to connect their target with a specific vehicle.

In open parking areas without security or surveillance, an Apple tag or GPS tracking device can be used to gain valuable information that points to where a social worker lives and the places they routinely visit. These devices may be undetectable once installed in wheel wells or on a vehicle’s undercarriage. And, as the prices of these devices continue to drop, their usage will likely become more commonplace. Fortunately, websites like WikiHow provide illustrated directions on how to find and remove trackers, and some government agencies have partnered with local law enforcement to conduct periodic searches.

Access to one’s car also means access to the contents of the glove compartment, where most of us keep our vehicle registration and insurance information, which contains information about where we live. A more secure alternative is to keep a picture of your registration and insurance card on your phone, encrypting the photo when possible in case it is ever lost. Given home security gates and even garage door openers can be hacked, it seems there is no limit to how the technology we rely on for convenience can be weaponized in the wrong hands.

There are also risks to would-be assailants in these tactics. Fear of detection might dissuade some from approaching a social worker’s property, but once the address is known, there are other methods for potential incursions, starting with the US mail.

Packages sent to workplaces may be screened. Those sent to a social worker’s residence are not. Precautions should be taken, especially during and after times when a social worker is involved in a contentious case or dealing with a vitriolic client. If an unexpected or suspicious parcel arrives, such as one carrying no return address, treat it with care and share that mindset with family members who may approach it first. A call to local authorities for help may seem like an extreme step, but in circumstances of heightened risk would also be prudent.

A mail-forwarding service can alleviate this threat, and a post office box would protect one’s home address from being exposed. However, some mail-forwarding companies will sell the personal information of their customers, so inquire about this before signing up. Also, be aware that getting a post office box requires providing a valid ID and home address (not just at the post office but also at private businesses such as UPS Stores). That content can be acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Acknowledging Vulnerabilities
It is unlikely that companies that collect personally identifiable information will change their policies, even if and when privacy laws are passed and fortified. Consider the huge settlements that tech companies have endured to maintain their control over the information they collect. In 2022, Google agreed to pay nearly $392 million in a settlement with 40 states over allegations that the company tracked people through their devices after location tracking had been turned off. “For years Google has prioritized profit over their users’ privacy,” says Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. “They have been crafty and deceptive.”

The more companies know about you—where you live, where you work, where your kids go to school, what you like to buy—the more they can feed you online ads they think you’ll like. While that may be fine for many, that same content can fall into the wrong hands far too easily, and for social workers, as well as judges, health care employees, police officers, and victims of stalking and domestic violence, exposing that information can be dangerous.

Protection begins with awareness and education. Personal security requires acknowledgment of where and how one is vulnerable. There are training classes, some accessible online as webinars, moderated by law enforcement and private companies that provide sound direction on identifying holes in security.

Some of these programs are free; others require investment. That should not be a deterrent, even in municipalities where budgets may be tight. When social workers feel threatened, they are likely to take more sick days, experience a decline in productivity, and suffer from stress-related health and morale issues.

If threats persist, a social worker may retire early or leave the profession at a time when there are already not enough trained professionals to handle the national caseload. According to a 2022 report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a substantial deficit of 74,000 social workers each year for the next decade. Should those projections prove accurate, the United States will face a massive social worker shortage by 2030.

The hidden costs of not providing safety guidance can be costly in both the financial and physical sense. Without enough trained professionals to help people overcome personal and societal obstacles by providing support, resources, and advocacy, this vital component of public service simply cannot work.

Online Disappearing Act
Personal information is the foundation for every threat that arrives on a social worker’s doorstep. That is why it is essential to take control of your information and limit access when necessary.

Many people fail to act either due to a lack of awareness about these dangers or from a belief that it’s too late to retract their widely disseminated personal details. But what has been posted can be removed or updated with content that cannot be traced back to its source. This is achieved through tools including virtual private networks (commonly referred to as “VPNs”), which mask online search and browsing activity; email aliases, which replace authentic email addresses; and a Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP number, which masks a cell phone number. In addition to the search and removal of personally identifiable information, privacy protection companies may also offer some or all these services that break the chain of causation between public information and the underlying recipient.

Providing this service to a social services agency can be a more cost-effective option than the cost of physical security and heightened protection after an information breach occurs. Some states have introduced bills that provide protection and allocations of state grants to help pay for the protection. The federal government has also included law enforcement and judicial grants that can be used for protection services.

When an active threat is received, partner with local law enforcement to assess the nature and seriousness of the threat. These agencies can usually provide support beyond physical protection.

Lastly, do not overlook the importance of advocating for protection statutes, whether specific to one profession or for the general public, in states where such laws do not yet exist. From individuals writing to their congressional representatives to lobbying efforts by professional organizations, raising awareness of the privacy issue does make a difference.

Curbing the Threat
In these turbulent times, social workers may feel overwhelmed by having to contend with personal safety concerns along with the everyday challenges of expanding caseloads. But changing laws that provide protection, allocation of funds for nontraditional threats, and partnership with companies that remove information or train social workers to remove it themselves, can enhance security and peace of mind. If an aggrieved person can’t find the home of a social worker or is delayed enough in the process to provide a cooling-down period, the potential for violence decreases significantly.

— Ron Zayas is an online privacy expert and CEO of Ironwall by Incogni. A sought-after speaker and author, Zayas has helped courts, law enforcement, and other public service organizations across the country protect the online privacy of their personnel, which in turn fuels their personal protection. He spearheaded the development and implementation of Ironwall’s proactive strategies that incorporate client education, data broker outreach, and the enforcement of laws that require the online removal of personally identifying information. Zayas has led the company since its inception in 2011, facilitating the protection of thousands of at-risk professionals in the public and private sectors. Connect with Zayas at ron.zayas@ironwall.com.

Resources
1. Bridging the gap: the urgent need for social workers. Columbia School of Social Work website. https://socialwork.columbia.edu/news/bridging-gap-urgent-need-social-workers. Published September 29, 2023.

2. Saturno S. Violent crime and social worker safety. Social Work Today website. https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/exc_032511.shtml. Published March 25, 2011.