Choice of Social Work as a Career: Possible Influences

Spirituality and Religiosity: Their Effects on Undergraduate Social Work Career Choice

“…Rompf and Royse (1994) observed that out of 243 undergraduate social work students at five secular universities, 87% reported religious influences in their adolescence, but this number does not present a statistically significant difference from 80% of non-social work students in the control group that reported the same. Wilson and McCrystal (2007) studied 117 graduate social work students at the beginning and end of their master's of social work program and found that 63% of students reported being raised with "very strong" or "strong" religious values; however, this study did not investigate the potential presence of any significant relationships between religion and career choice.…”

Gate‐keeping for professional social work practice

“…The resolution of early life issues is important in light of studies indicating that many potential social workers were raised in dysfunctional families (Rompf & Royse, 1994;Lackie, 1983;Black et al, 1993;Marsh, 1988;Russell & Hill, 1993). While this literature cannot be considered definitive because of small sample sizes, an absence of comparison groups, and reliance upon anecdotal accounts, they all support the hypothesis that early-life psychosocial trauma is associated with the choice of social work as a career for a substantial number of social work students.…”

“…These include a greater familiarity with social services, an increased ability to relate to clients who feel helpless and overwhelmed, greater knowledge of effective coping strategies and greater sensitivity and empathy. On the other hand, such a background may increase the worker's susceptibility to working out dependency issues with clients (Rompf & Royse, 1994). While concerns have been expressed about the results of growing up in a dysfunctional family, it seems clear, for example, that many adult children of alcoholics are not vulnerable to emotional problems and excessive drinking despite the dysfunction of their families of origin.…”

Care leavers as helpers: Motivations for and benefits of helping others

“…According to these accounts many of the therapists came from a conflictual familial background, where they were assigned the role of the therapist or the "peace maker" in their families, and developed their therapeutic abilities while working through their own difficulties. Comparative studies examining differences in childhood experiences of adversity and marginality between students in the helping and nonhelping professions have provided evidence that the former are characterized by significantly more psychosocial trauma in their families of origin (Rompf & Royse, 1994;Russel, Gill, Coyne, & Woody, 1993).…”