Dr. Joel Gautschi

Work at ZHAW

Position

Researcher and Lecturer

Focus

• Child protection
• Judgement and decision-making
• Trust
• Virtual Reality and social work
• Quantitative research methodologies
• Experimental survey research (with Factorial Survey Approach)

Teaching

• Quantitative research methods (Bachelor in Sozialer Arbeit)
• Reporting potential child maltreatment (Bachelor in Social Work, Bachelor in Midwifery)
• Evaluating interventions: Criteria, designs and utilization (Master in Social Work)

Experience

• Lecturer and Researcher
  School of Social Work, Zurich University of Applied Sciences
  2021 - today
• Researcher
  School of Social Work, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
  2012 - 2021
• Research Assistant
  School of Social Work, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
  2008 - 2012
• Social Worker
  Solothurnische Beratungsstelle für Sehbehinderte, Olten, Switzerland
  2004 - 2011
• Traineeship as Social Worker
  Beratungsstelle der Suchthilfe Region Olten (Addictions Counselling Service)
  2007 - 2007
• Software Developer
  MySign
  2002 - 2004

Education and Continuing education

Education

• PhD / Social Work
  University of Education, Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany)
  2014 - 2021
• Visiting PhD student
  University of Groningen (Netherlands)
  2017 - 2017
• Master of Arts / Social Work, with emphasis on Social Innovation
  University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
  2008 - 2011
• Bachelor of Arts / Social Work
  University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
  2004 - 2008

Network

Membership of networks

• European Social Work Research Association (ESWRA)
• The Decisions, Assessment and Risk Special Interest Group (DARSIG) of the ESWRA
• Swiss Society of Social Work (SGSA-SSTS)
• Research commission of the SGSA
• Interessengemeinschaft für Qualität im Kindesschutz (IGQK)
• European Inter-Disciplinary Social Legal Care Order Decision-Making Network
• International Research Network on Infants and Child Protection Systems
• Child and Youth Public Health Research competence network (CYPHER)
• Digital Futures Lab

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4694-5072

Awards

Emerging Talents Award 2021 for an outstanding thesis
Swiss Society of Social Work (SGSA-SSTS)
09 / 2021

Projects

• Assessing and improving access to health and social care SErvices for children RENdered vulnerable by Abuse / Team member / ongoing
• The problem of noise in child protection / Project leader / ongoing
• Social Virtual Reality: Training toolkit for the assessment of emotional maltreatment of children / Co-project leader / ongoing
• The effectiveness of interventions to prevent child maltreatment / Project leader / completed
• Social work in Virtual Reality / Project leader / completed
• EuSARF 2021: International Conference of the European Scientific Association on Residential and Family Care for Children and Adolescents / Team member / completed

Publications

• O’Leary, Donna; Alfandari, Ravit; Cowley, Laura Elizabeth; Bertotti, Teresa; Gautschi, Joel; Gregory, Mark; Helm, Duncan; Killick, Campbell; Lwin, Kristen; Rölver, Michael; Sicora, Alessandro; Sørensen, Kresta Munkholt; Suarez, Holger; Taylor, Brian J.; Nirmalarajan, Liesanth Yde,

  2025.

  Advancing social work research and practice: celebrating ten years of the Decisions, Assessment and Risk Special Interest Group (DARSIG).

  European Social Work Research.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1332/27551768y2025d000000051

• Gautschi, Joel; Lätsch, David,

  2024.

  The effectiveness of interventions to prevent and reduce child maltreatment in high-income countries : an umbrella review.

  Child Abuse & Neglect.

  153(106845).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106845

• Alfandari, Ravit; Whittaker, Andrew; Helm, Duncan; Killick, Campbell; Gautschi, Joel; Rölver, Michael; Taylor, Brian; Yde Nirmalarajan, Liesanth; Suarez, Holger; Middel, Floor; Agu, Lorraine; Bolin, Anette; Raudava, Vaike; Lamponen, Tuuli,

  2024.

  The future is here : digital technologies in social work practice.

  European Social Work Research.

  2(1), pp. 88-92.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1332/27551768Y2024D000000006

• Gautschi, Joel; Schnurr, Stefan,

  2024.

  Kinderschutz in der Schweiz : ein Überblick.

  Sozial Extra.

  48(1), pp. 35-39.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12054-023-00651-y

• Taylor, Brian J.; Killick, Campbell; McGlade, Anne; Gautschi, Joel,

  2023.

  Decisions, Assessment, Risk and Evidence in Social Work conference moves from Belfast to Zurich.

  European Social Work Research.

  2(1), pp. 93-99.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1332/27551768Y2023D000000001

• Rüegger, Cornelia; Gautschi, Joel; Becker-Lenz, Roland; Rotzetter, Fabienne,

  2021.

  Bedeutung und Aufbau von Vertrauen in der sozialpädagogischen Familienbegleitung.

  GISo : Gesellschaft - Individuum - Sozialisation. Zeitschrift für Sozialisationsforschung.

  2(2).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.26043/GISo.2021.2.3

• Taylor, Brian; Killick, Campbell; Bertotti, Teresa; Enosh, Guy; Gautschi, Joel; Hietamäki, Johanna; Sicora, Alessandro; Whittaker, Andrew,

  2017.

  European social work research association SIG to study decisions, assessment, and risk.

  Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work.

  15(1), pp. 82-94.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/23761407.2017.1394244

• Rüegger, Cornelia; Ormanns, Yann; Becker-Lenz, Roland; Gautschi, Joel; Rack, Oliver,

  2017.

  Gefährdungsmeldungen bezüglich älterer Menschen im Erwachsenenschutz : wer meldet was und warum (nicht)?.

  Zeitschrift für Kindes- und Erwachsenenschutz.

  72(6), pp. 475-493.

• Becker-Lenz, Roland; Gautschi, Joel; Rüegger, Cornelia,

  2015.

  Nicht-standardisiertes Wissen und nicht-methodisiertes Können in der sozialen Diagnostik : Einblick in eine empirische Analyse im Feld der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe.

  Neue Praxis.

  45(3), pp. 270-279.

• Schilling, Sigrid; Gautschi, Joel; Rüegger, Cornelia; Kurenkova, Olga; Shcherbakov, Gregori,

  2013.

  International cooperation in social work : some reflections on a Swiss-Russian cooperation project.

  Social Work & Society.

  11(1).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-23446

• Gautschi, Joel,

  2021.

  Urteile und Entscheidungen unter Unsicherheit in Kindeswohlabklärungen : Einflussfaktoren auf Fallbeurteilungen in einer multifaktoriellen, experimentellen Vignettenstudie.

  Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-23075

• Schnurr, Stefan; Gautschi, Joel,

  2023.

  Child protection and children’s services in Switzerland.

  In:

  Duerr Berrick, Jill; Gilbert, Neil; Skivenes, Marit, eds.,

  The Oxford Handbook of Child Protection Systems.

  New York:

  Oxford University Press.

  pp. 356-380.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197503546.013.8

• Gautschi, Joel; Ghanem, Christian,

  2023.

  Methods for studying professional judgement in social work.

  In:

  Taylor, Brian J.; Fluke, John D.; Graham, J. Christopher; Keddell, Emily; Shlonsky, Aron; Whittaker, Andrew, eds.,

  The Sage handbook of decision making, assessment and risk in social work.

  London:

  Sage.

  pp. 133-142.

• Ghanem, Christian; Gautschi, Joel,

  2023.

  Theories of professional judgement.

  In:

  Taylor, Brian J.; Fluke, John D.; Graham, J. Christopher; Keddell, Emily; Shlonsky, Aron; Whittaker, Andrew, eds.,

  The Sage handbook of decision making, assessment and risk in social work.

  London:

  Sage.

  pp. 119-129.

• Rüegger, Cornelia; Becker-Lenz, Roland; Gautschi, Joel,

  2019.

  Zur Nutzung verschiedener Wissensformen in der Praxis Sozialer Arbeit : Erkenntnisse aus einer empirischen Analyse.

  In:

  Hollenstein, Lea; Kunz, Regula, eds.,

  Kasuistik in der Sozialen Arbeit : an Fällen Lernen in Praxis und Hochschule.

  Leverkusen:

  Barbara Budrich.

  pp. 53-71.

• Bastian, Pascal; Schrödter, Mark; Becker-Lenz, Roland; Gautschi, Joel; Grosse, Martin; Hunold, Martin; Rüegger, Cornelia,

  2018.

  Bauchgefühle in der Sozialen Arbeit.

  In:

  Kommission Sozialpädagogik, ed.,

  Wa(h)re Gefühle? Sozialpädagogische Emotionsarbeit im wohlfahrtsstaatlichen Kontext.

  Weinheim:

  Beltz Juventa.

  pp. 128-140.

• Becker-Lenz, Roland; Gautschi, Joel; Rüegger, Cornelia,

  2017.

  Die Bedeutung von nicht-standardisiertem Wissen in der Diagnostik Sozialer Arbeit : eine Fallanalyse zu "Erfahrungswissen" und "Spüren" in einem Fall aus dem Kindesschutz.

  In:

  Messmer, Heinz, ed.,

  Fallwissen : Wissensgebrauch in Praxiskontexten der Sozialen Arbeit.

  Opladen:

  Barbara Budrich.

  pp. 115-154.

• Gautschi, Joel; Rüegger, Cornelia,

  2010.

  Objektivierung des objektivierenden Subjekts?! : Bourdieus Konzept der Reflexivität als Mittel der Reflexion von Fallrekonstruktionen.

  In:

  Haupert, Bernhard; Schilling, Sigrid; Maurer, Susanne, eds.,

  Biografiearbeit und Biografieforschung in der Sozialen Arbeit : Beiträge zu einer rekonstruktiven Perspektive sozialer Professionen.

  Bern:

  Peter Lang.

  pp. 245-251.

• Du, Haoyang; Jia, Songkai; Gautschi, Joel; Quehenberger, Julia; Lätsch, David; Pan, Xueni,

  2023.

  Towards more child safety-oriented decisions through VR[poster].

  In:

  Du, Hoayang, ed.,

  2023 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW).

  30th IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces, Shanghai, China, 25-29 March 2023.

  IEEE.

  pp. 687-688.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW58643.2023.00186

• Rotzetter, Fabienne; Becker-Lenz, Roland; Rüegger, Cornelia; Gautschi, Joel,

  2022.

  Spannungsgeladene Vertrauensarbeit : Wie gelingt oder misslingt es, im Zwangskontext Vertrauen aufzubauen? Einige Antworten dazu aus einem Forschungsprojekt zum Feld der Sozialpädagogischen Familienbegleitung (SPF).

  SozialAktuell.

  (2), pp. 7-8.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-27647

• Gautschi, Joel; Benbenishty, Rami,

  2021.

  Empirical methods for studying decision-making in child welfare and protection.

  In:

  Fluke, John D.; López López, Mónica; Benbenishty, Rami; Knorth, Erik J.; Baumann, Donald J., eds.,

  Decision-Making and Judgment in Child Welfare and Protection.

  New York:

  Oxford University Press.

  pp. 57-80.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190059538.003.0003

• Baumgartner, Edgar; Gautschi, Joel; Ehrler, Franziska,

  2014.

  Ergänzungsleistungen für Familien : Erfahrungen aus dem Kanton Solothurn.

  Soziale Sicherheit: CHSS.

  (6), pp. 318-323.

  Available from: https://www.bsv.admin.ch/dam/bsv/de/dokumente/themenuebergreifend/publikationen/CHSS/chss-06-2014.pdf.download.pdf/de-06-2014.pdf

• Baumgartner, Edgar; Ehrler, Franziska; Gautschi, Joel,

  2014.

  Ergänzungsleistungen für Familien entlasten die Sozialhilfe.

  ZESO - die Zeitschrift für Sozialhilfe.

  2014(3), pp. 18-20.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.5169/seals-839638

• Baumgartner, Edgar; Ehrler, Franziska; Gautschi, Joel; Bochsler, Yann,

  2014.

  Evaluation der Ergänzungsleistungen für Familien im Kanton Solothurn : Schlussbericht.

  Olten:

  Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.26041/fhnw-729

• Wilhelm, Elena; Rüegger, Cornelia; Gautschi, Joel; Schilling, Sigrid; Kurenkova, Olga,

  2009.

  Professionalisierung der Sozialen Arbeit im Strafvollzug Russlands : Einblicke in ein transnationales Projekt.

  SozialAktuell.

  2009(11), pp. 38-40.

• Gautschi, Joel; Quehenberger, Julia; Lätsch, David; Du, Haoyang; Jia, Songkai; Pan, Xueni,

  2023.

  Is professionals’ empathy associated with safety-oriented decisions in child protection? : findings from an experimental virtual reality study.

  In:

  17th International Conference of the European Scientific Association on Residential & Family Care for Children and Adolescents (EuSARF), Brighton, United Kingdom, 12-15 September 2023.

• Gautschi, Joel; Lätsch, David,

  2023.

  The effectiveness of interventions to prevent child maltreatment : an umbrella review.

  In:

  12th European Conference for Social Work Research (ECSWR), Milan, Italy, 12-14 April 2023.

• Gautschi, Joel,

  2023.

  Entscheidungsprozesse, Institutionalisierungen und Rationalitäten im Kinderschutz in der Schweiz.

  In:

  Workshop Entscheidungsprozesse, Institutionalisierungen und Rationalitäten im Kinderschutz : Perspektiven des internationalen Vergleichs, online, 23. Februar 2023.

• Fellmann, Lukas; Gautschi, Joel; Haunberger, Sigrid; Hümbelin, Oliver; Kessler, Dorian; Maggiori, Christian; Sepahniya, Samin,

  2022.

  Quantitative research methods in social work education : status and development potentials​.

  In:

  SGSA Forum «Transformationen Sozialer Arbeit», FHNW, online, 25. November 2022.

• Gautschi, Joel,

  2022.

  Disagreement among professionals in judgements about risk and the need for out-of-home placement : results on the extent and possible determinants of disagreement in a Swiss vignette study.

  In:

  ISPCAN Québec City Congress, online, 28-30 March 2022.

• Gautschi, Joel,

  2022.

  (Dis)agreement among professionals on child protection assessments in cases of neglect : results from a multifactorial experimental vignette study in Switzerland.

  In:

  26rd Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR), Washington DC; USA (online), 12-16 January 2022.

  Available from: https://sswr.confex.com/sswr/2022/webprogram/Paper46544.html

• Becker-Lenz, Roland; Gautschi, Joel; Rüegger, Cornelia; Rotzetter, Fabienne,

  2021.

  How to investigate trust : experiences from a research project on trust in mandatory social work.

  In:

  Symposium on „Trust in helping, therapeutic and pedagogical relationships“, Muttenz, 3-5 November 2021.

• Gautschi, Joel; Middel, Floor; Fluke, John D.; Hollinshead, Dana,

  2021.

  Decision-making in child welfare and protection : reflections on inequalities and inconsistencies.

  In:

  2nd Annual Kempe International Virtual Conference "A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare", online, 4-7 October 2021.

• Fluke, John D.; Hollinshead, Dana; Middel, Floor; Gautschi, Joel; Alexander, Kate,

  2021.

  Decision-making in child welfare and protection : aspirations for heathy systems.

  In:

  2nd Annual Kempe International Virtual Conference "A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare", online, 4-7 October 2021.

• Tausendfreund, Tim; Gautschi, Joel,

  2021.

  Trends in teaching quantitative research methods.

  In:

  11th Workshop of the Swiss Society for Social Work (SGSA-SSTS) Research Commission "Quantitative Research Methods in Social Work Education in Switzerland: Current State and Future Developments", Bern, Switzerland, 17 September 2021.

• Gautschi, Joel; Benbenishty, Rami,

  2021.

  Empirical methods for studying decision making in child welfare and protection.

  In:

  16th International Conference of the European Scientific Association on Residential & Family Care for Children and Adolescents (EuSARF), Zurich (online), 1-3 September 2021.

• Becker, Roland; Rotzetter, Fabienne; Gautschi, Joel; Rüegger, Cornelia,

  2021.

  Professional challenges of trust building processes in mandatory social pedagogical family support settings.

  In:

  16th International Conference of the European Scientific Association on Residential & Family Care for Children and Adolescents (EuSARF), Zurich (online), 1-3 September 2021.

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