Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Davis, Thomas

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore and examine whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and altruistic behavior have a correlation between whether an individual chooses social work as a career choice. A quantitative study was conducted which included the responses of 99 students enrolled in a school of social work from a Southern California University. The participants were administered two sets of questionnaires via a Qualtrics online survey. One questionnaire measured the number of ACE’s a participant had experienced before the age of eighteen. The second questionnaire was a simplified nine item self-report altruism (SRA) scale that measured the participant’s level of altruism. The results of the study revealed that participants with higher levels of altruism were more likely to choose social work as a profession because it gives them a sense of purpose. Implications of these findings play an important role for current and future students in social work as the concept of altruism remains central to social work’s core values and practice.

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