After the brutal death of one of their peers last month, social workers nationwide are seeking protection against the danger of assault on the job. Lisa Putman, a social worker for the Child Protective Services branch of the Family Independence Agency in Macomb County, Mich., was beaten with a hammer, suffocated, and dumped in a marsh by two sisters she visited while working on a child protection case. Putman's death is only one of the many reminders that social work can be a risky occupation, said Harolyn Devlin, deputy director of the Family Independence Agency in Macomb County. What it all boils down to is money.
Any situation can become unexpectedly threatening.
When you think about it, the same kind of thing could happen to a nurse or anyone making a home call.