Analysis from university students’ viewpoint of social professionals in gender-based violence in Spain.

Abstract

Gender-based violence is a pandemic with global impact, and social welfare professionals play a central role in the fight against it. The main objective of this study was to describe and interpret the opinions of a sample of 336 students from the University of Malaga on professional practice in social intervention for genderbased violence. These students were studying degrees in Social Work, Psychology, and University Master’s Degree in Equality and Gender and had previous theoretical and practical knowledge of the subject. A SWOT matrix was applied to collect the data, which were analyzed through ATLAS.ti software. The results clearly show that training and professional experience—and their opposites— articulate the main strengths and weaknesses of the professional collective. Regarding opportunities, students underline the role of resources in all forms, and deficient investment in resources and normative deficits emerge as the main threats. The diagnosis presented provides valuable information for the design of curriculums and public policies that reinforce the task of professionals, present and future, in social intervention for gender-based violence.