Abstract:
This study was conducted to determine whether or not school employees are experiencing
compassion fatigue. The research question for this study is: Are school employees experiencing
compassion fatigue? This study included examining ways in which they identified levels of
burnout, secondary trauma and compassion satisfaction. A quantitative study was conducted
using snowball-sampling techniques to administer an online survey that asked participants to
report demographic information and complete the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL).
121 participants identified as fulltime employees of a school and as English speaking and over
the age of eighteen.
Findings point to low levels of compassion fatigue among the sample. Participants
reported low to average levels of burnout and secondary trauma and high or average levels of
compassion satisfaction. Trends in responses and correlations between demographic data and
responses are discussed and explored further to determine the accurate portrayal of compassion
fatigue in the realm of school employees. Implications for future studies and social workers are
discussed.
Source: Smith College School for Social Work (Library)
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The other frontline workers: Exploring the symptoms of compassion fatigue among school staff members
