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ORIGINAL PAPERDeterminants of Child Protection Off i cers’ Decisionsin Emergency Situations: An Experimental StudyAmnon LazarPublished online: 1 June 2006? Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2006Abstract The present study examines the effects of demographic and personalityvariables on child protection workers’ decisions in emergency situations. Four vignettes,describing emergency situations related to boys and girls, were randomly administered to154 registered child protection workers by mail. The decision concerning the severity ofthe intervention was found to be associated with child’s gender, worker’s gender, andworker’s authoritarianism. These results are discussed in light of the previous knowledgeconcerning gender socialization, gender stereotypes, and authoritarian personality.Keywords Child protection Æ Child welfare Æ Emergency situation Æ Decision-makingIntroductionThree general factors are known to affect the child protection worker’s choice of inter-vention in an emergency situation: the worker’s role expectations, the characteristics of thesituation, and the worker’s personal biases. The present study examines the effects thatdemographic and personality variables have on child protection workers’ decisions inemergency situations within the framework of Israeli laws governing such situations.Role of the Child Protection WorkerThe Israeli ‘‘Youth (Treatment and Supervision) Law,’’ Clause 11 (1960) reads as follows:A child protection worker has the authority and the duty to act whenever there is animmediate danger to a minor. The worker may use all available means to prevent thatdanger or provide the treatment which cannot be delayed, including issuing anA. Lazar (&)School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israele-mail: lazar@research.haifa.ac.ilChild Youth Care Forum (2006) 35:263–276DOI 10.1007/s10566-006-9013-z123