The Stories of 100 Fallen Social Workers

About the book

This book originates from a series of field interviews conducted by a social workers’ union starting in 2022, accumulating 77 frontline narratives from social work practice. From these, 20 cases were selected and transformed into illustrated stories.

Using the metaphor of “fallen social workers,” the book seeks to reveal the structural pressures, emotional labor, and systemic constraints embedded within social work practice in Taiwan. Rather than merely depicting hardship, it aims to illuminate the often-invisible working conditions and encourage public reflection on the profession.

Each story is drawn from real-world practice, capturing the struggles, ethical dilemmas, and emotional burdens faced by social workers in service settings. Accompanying each narrative are reflective prompts such as “If… then I would not have fallen,” highlighting potential systemic changes and alternative working conditions that could prevent such outcomes.

The book also documents professional dialogues from supervisors and psychiatrists, including discussions on secondary traumatic stress and case reflections in clinical and training contexts. These perspectives demonstrate attempts at cross-disciplinary understanding of social work trauma.

In addition, the union has actively engaged in public advocacy, including commemorative events and press conferences, to raise awareness of the working conditions of social workers. Although immediate systemic change may be difficult, the publication continues to serve as an act of collective voice-making and advocacy for safer, more sustainable working environments.