School Social Workers Responses to Racial Violence: Moving From Responsive to Anti-Racist Practice

Overview: This study examines school social workers (SSWs) responses to racism, disproportionalities and disparities, and state sanctioned violence against the Black community during the pandemic. Seventeen SSWs participated in 34 semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Implications related to social work practice and education are discussed.Proposal text:

Background: The overarching goal of our initial study was to examine how school social workers’ roles, responsibilities, and work tasks shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, throughout the COVID-pandemic, many existing disproportionalities and disparities in K-12 education were exacerbated (Dorn et al., 2020; Haderlein, 2021; Kelly et al., 2020). In addition, demonstrations following the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd brought increased awareness to existing racial injustices (e.g., state sanctioned violence against the Black community). Subsequently, this study examines shifts in school social work practice in the midst of two simultaneous events - the COVID-19 pandemic and increased awareness about racial violence and racial justice movements related to the state sanctioned violence against the Black community.


Methods: An exploratory qualitative research design was used to investigate SSWs’ experiences during the Spring and Fall 2020 semesters. Seventeen school social workers in K–12 public schools, from various school districts across three states completed key informant interviews related to their experiences during the Spring semesters of 2020. In the Fall semester of 2020, these same participants completed follow-up interviews.

Member checks were completed after the initial interviews. Follow-up interviews specifically asked questions related to inequities based on race, racial violence, racial justice movements, and SSWs responses to racial violence and injustices. The data from the 34 interviews were analyzed using a grounded theory approach, including three coding cycles (Saldaña, 2009).


Results: Participants indicated an awareness of increasing health and educational disparities for students and families (i.e., based on socio-economic status, race, and immigrant status) during the pandemic. However, few described clear actionable steps in their daily practice that address the identified disparities. Although some participants indicated various types of structural support for addressing racism at the district, SSW department and school level, other participants indicated not having support. In fact, one SSW reported that their district specifically stated that nobody can support, talk about, or wear anything in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement

SSWs with multiple forms of support at the district, SSW department and/or school level discussed the various ways they responded to racial injustices. Common practice behaviors described by participants include: 1. engaging in critical conversations about race and racism, 2. building relationships with students, families and staff, 3. participating in ongoing learning opportunities related to racial justice, and 4. joining or leading equity teams. An in-depth description of these practice behaviors is described.


Conclusion: Implications for school social work practice and curriculum are discussed. This includes a discussion of how to move from responsive practice, as evidenced by the examples shared in this presentation, to anti-racist practices. Additionally, the discussion of structural supports and barriers to anti-racist practice and how to incorporate anti-racist practice into the curriculum for SSW classes and field seminar will be discussed.