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

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• O'Leary, D. et al. (2025) 'Advancing social work research and practice: celebrating ten years of the Decisions, Assessment and Risk Special Interest Group (DARSIG)', European Social Work Research, 3(3), pp. 356–365. doi: 10.1332/27551768y2025d000000051.
• Gautschi, J. and Lätsch, D. (2024) 'The effectiveness of interventions to prevent and reduce child maltreatment in high-income countries : an umbrella review', Child Abuse & Neglect, 153(106845). doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106845.
• Alfandari, R. et al. (2024) 'The future is here : digital technologies in social work practice', European Social Work Research, 2(1), pp. 88–92. doi: 10.1332/27551768Y2024D000000006.
• Gautschi, J. and Schnurr, S. (2024) 'Kinderschutz in der Schweiz : ein Überblick', Sozial Extra, 48(1), pp. 35–39. doi: 10.1007/s12054-023-00651-y.
• Taylor, B. J. et al. (2023) 'Decisions, Assessment, Risk and Evidence in Social Work conference moves from Belfast to Zurich', European Social Work Research, 2(1), pp. 93–99. doi: 10.1332/27551768Y2023D000000001.
• Rüegger, C. et al. (2021) 'Bedeutung und Aufbau von Vertrauen in der sozialpädagogischen Familienbegleitung', GISo : Gesellschaft - Individuum - Sozialisation. Zeitschrift für Sozialisationsforschung, 2(2). doi: 10.26043/GISo.2021.2.3.
• Taylor, B. et al. (2017) 'European social work research association SIG to study decisions, assessment, and risk', Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work, 15(1), pp. 82–94. doi: 10.1080/23761407.2017.1394244.
• Rüegger, C. et al. (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, R., Gautschi, J. and Rüegger, C. (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, S. et al. (2013) 'International cooperation in social work : some reflections on a Swiss-Russian cooperation project', Social Work & Society, 11(1). doi: 10.21256/zhaw-23446.

Books, peer-reviewed

Gautschi, J. (2021) Urteile und Entscheidungen unter Unsicherheit in Kindeswohlabklärungen : Einflussfaktoren auf Fallbeurteilungen in einer multifaktoriellen, experimentellen Vignettenstudie. Doctoral dissertation. Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-23075.

Book chapters, peer-reviewed

• Ghanem, C. and Gautschi, J. (2023) 'Theories of professional judgement', in Taylor, B. J. et al. (eds) The Sage handbook of decision making, assessment and risk in social work. London: Sage, pp. 119–129.
• Gautschi, J. and Ghanem, C. (2023) 'Methods for studying professional judgement in social work', in Taylor, B. J. et al. (eds) The Sage handbook of decision making, assessment and risk in social work. London: Sage, pp. 133–142.
• Schnurr, S. and Gautschi, J. (2023) 'Child protection and children's services in Switzerland', in Duerr Berrick, J., Gilbert, N., and Skivenes, M. (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Child Protection Systems. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 356–380. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197503546.013.8.
• Rüegger, C., Becker-Lenz, R. and Gautschi, J. (2019) 'Zur Nutzung verschiedener Wissensformen in der Praxis Sozialer Arbeit : Erkenntnisse aus einer empirischen Analyse', in Hollenstein, L. and Kunz, R. (eds) Kasuistik in der Sozialen Arbeit : an Fällen Lernen in Praxis und Hochschule. Leverkusen: Barbara Budrich, pp. 53–71.
• Bastian, P. et al. (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, R., Gautschi, J. and Rüegger, C. (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, H. (ed.) Fallwissen : Wissensgebrauch in Praxiskontexten der Sozialen Arbeit. Opladen: Barbara Budrich, pp. 115–154.
• Gautschi, J. and Rüegger, C. (2010) 'Objektivierung des objektivierenden Subjekts?! : Bourdieus Konzept der Reflexivität als Mittel der Reflexion von Fallrekonstruktionen', in Haupert, B., Schilling, S., and Maurer, S. (eds) Biografiearbeit und Biografieforschung in der Sozialen Arbeit : Beiträge zu einer rekonstruktiven Perspektive sozialer Professionen. Bern: Peter Lang, pp. 245–251.

Written conference contributions, peer-reviewed

Du, H. et al. (2023) 'Towards more child safety-oriented decisions through VR', in Du, H. (ed.) 2023 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW). IEEE, pp. 687–688. doi: 10.1109/VRW58643.2023.00186.

Other publications

• Rotzetter, F. et al. (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. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-27647.
• Gautschi, J. and Benbenishty, R. (2021) 'Empirical methods for studying decision-making in child welfare and protection', in Fluke, J. D. et al. (eds) Decision-Making and Judgment in Child Welfare and Protection. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 57–80. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780190059538.003.0003.
• Baumgartner, E., Gautschi, J. and Ehrler, F. (2014) 'Ergänzungsleistungen für Familien : Erfahrungen aus dem Kanton Solothurn', Soziale Sicherheit: CHSS, (6), pp. 318–323. Available at: https://www.bsv.admin.ch/dam/bsv/de/dokumente/themenuebergreifend/publikationen/CHSS/chss-06-2014.pdf.download.pdf/de-06-2014.pdf.
• Baumgartner, E., Ehrler, F. and Gautschi, J. (2014) 'Ergänzungsleistungen für Familien entlasten die Sozialhilfe', ZESO - die Zeitschrift für Sozialhilfe, 2014(3), pp. 18–20. doi: 10.5169/seals-839638.
• Baumgartner, E. et al. (2014) Evaluation der Ergänzungsleistungen für Familien im Kanton Solothurn : Schlussbericht. Olten: Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW. doi: 10.26041/fhnw-729.
• Wilhelm, E. et al. (2009) 'Professionalisierung der Sozialen Arbeit im Strafvollzug Russlands : Einblicke in ein transnationales Projekt', SozialAktuell, 2009(11), pp. 38–40.

Oral conference contributions and abstracts

• Quehenberger, J. et al. (2025) 'Virtual reality-based training for structured parent interviews to assess psychological child abuse : a prototype featuring onboarding, immersive VR training, and AI-driven feedback', in ISPCAN Congress, Vilnius, Lithuania, 5-9 October 2025.
• Steinmann, S., Gautschi, J. and Quehenberger, J. (2025) 'Intensive parenting and child welfare attitudes in residential care : predicting professionals' reunification', in 18th International Conference of the European Scientific Association on Residential & Family Care for Children and Adolescents (EuSARF), Zagreb, Croatia, 8-12 September 2025.
• Gautschi, J. et al. (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, J. and Lätsch, D. (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, J. (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, L. et al. (2022) 'Quantitative research methods in social work education : status and development potentials​', in SGSA Forum «Transformationen Sozialer Arbeit», FHNW, online, 25. November 2022.
• Gautschi, J. (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, J. (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 at: https://sswr.confex.com/sswr/2022/webprogram/Paper46544.html.
• Becker-Lenz, R. et al. (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, J. et al. (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, J. D. et al. (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, T. and Gautschi, J. (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, J. and Benbenishty, R. (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, R. et al. (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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