Student perceptions of the use of social workers in policing contexts

Purpose Social workers are often a major element in discussions surrounding contemporary police services. The degree and nature of support for the inclusion and potential expansion of social workers in policing contexts are often unknown. Such sentiment is vital to future of current and future policy frameworks. Design/methodology/approach Using samples of social work and criminal justice students (n = 277), the present study determines 1) the degree of association between students' prior experience in the domains of crime and wellness with their perceptions of programs that historically involve social workers policing contexts and 2) if differences in perceptions exist between student groupings. Findings Results indicate that criminal justice students were less likely to assign social workers to policing tasks that involve a criminal element. Comparatively, social work students believe that social workers are more suitable in policing tasks that primarily involve mental health or domestic violence. Research limitations/implications These have key implications for future programing that seeks to further integrate social workers with police services. More specifically, policymakers need to consider that the degree of support for the future of social workers in policing contexts is not uniform. Such considerations are vital for managing stakeholder expectations for program implementation and overall collaborative success. Originality/value This is the first study to consider various degrees of sentiment of collaborative initiatives from the perspective of prospective social workers and police officers.