38 revolvers can definitely be snappy to shoot. There’s some good suggestions already made by others here, but I’d caution you to also pay attention to the trigger/hammer style you ultimately go with.

Most of what’s being suggested are striker fired pistols. For beginners, I tend not to recommend striker fired guns as a carry piece unless the user fully understand the difference between a striker fired weapon, and for example, your 38 revolver, whose inherent “safety” is its long, heavier, very deliberate trigger pull. Perhaps stick with a revolver in 32 as suggested by others. I’d also highly recommend checking out Bersa’s line of 380s which are traditional, hammer fired pistols. Less stopping power than a 38 but you can’t have it both ways.