Violence, threats and intimidation confront many professionals working in the area of child protection. Freda Briggs, Donna Broadhurst and Russell Hawkins find that workers across a range of professions may be subjected to a variety of stressful and damaging behaviours that can impact on their long-term ability to protect children. The emotional and health effects can lead to physical and psychological illness and burn-out which, in turn, may lead to absence from work, transfer and even resignation.