Social Work and Social Sciences Review

Nexus between social work and environmental sustainability

2022-09-14T15:20:42-07:00

The United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development declared environmental problems as social problems. Over the years, the social work profession, although governed by the ‘person-in-environment’ principle, has long neglected the natural environment and progressively assumed the significance of environmental issues in the social intervention context. In this article, we first describe the environmental context for human life, followed by a narrative review of existing research on understanding environmental sustainability and its relationship with social work. This is supported by an explanation of the current global climate change situation and the utilization of sustainable development goals which are directly associated with environmental sustainability. In order to arrive at the conclusion, social work before environmental sustainability in the UK context and Hamilton’s psychosocial casework are also discussed. It can help social workers broaden and strengthen practices by incorporating the realm of ecology and the environment in the social work field.

The Irony of Child Protection: A qualitative analysis of social workers and police officers’ challenges in supporting the rights of victims of child marriage

2023-11-26T14:36:18-08:00

Social workers and the police are key frontline workers providing intervention against the practice of child marriage. However, the challenges they experience have received little attention in the literature on child marriage. This paper seeks to contribute to emerging literature by exploring the challenges frontline workers face when intervening in a child marriage situation in Ghana. The study utilizes semi-structured interviews to collect data from six frontline workers and analyses the data thematically. The study found that frontline workers follow a common practice of prematurely reintegrating rescued victims back into the environment where child marriage is encouraged. This raises awareness of what we called the child protection irony which is inconsistent with the constitution and the child welfare policies in Ghana. As a result, the girls is left alone to battle their way out of child marriage while the perpetrators remain unpunished. The findings suggest a need for collaboration between child protection agencies to ensure that child welfare laws and resource allocations are implemented effectively to safeguard children’s rights.

The counter-narrative of an ‘unaccompanied minor’-young offender in Spain

2023-12-31T17:22:21-08:00

Unaccompanied Foreign Minors (UFM) are often framed as criminals by many people in the general population, rather than as at-risk children. This paper analyses the case of Ibrahim, a Moroccan boy who had both identities (migrant and offender), but whose case ended positively, in order to dismantle prejudices, show underlying inequalities, and learn from good practice. The research was carried out using a biographical research methodology, using the cross-narrative model. The main sources of information and data collection techniques were: a) Interviews with 12 key informants; b) Documentary records (all files related to his case); and c) More than 200 photographs, mostly of his rehabilitation process. The results are divided into two parts. The first one shows the (risk factors) living conditions of the unaccompanied minors in their contexts of origin. And the second one analyses the most relevant aspects of the successful intervention carried out with him. The conclusions are drawn from their analysis: Firstly, an approach is recommended that is focused on humanising ‘UFM’ and ensuring a basic standard of living conditions, which would also reduce migration and anti-social behaviour. Secondly, a social, personalised, ecological and empowering model of intervention must be applied to support individuals transforming their circumstances.

Resilience processes that enable better-than-expected outcomes for young care-leavers with intellectual disabilities and/or autism

2024-02-16T02:34:58-08:00

This study focuses on young people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism in South Africa who entered care due to child welfare concerns and were aging out of care towards adulthood, an entirely unstudied population in South Africa and severely understudied globally. Although care-leavers typically experience poor outcomes, protective processes may enable them to bounce back from adversities. The aim of this paper is to describe the resilience enablers that facilitate better-than-expected outcomes among young care-leavers with intellectual disabilities and/or autism during their first 18 months out of care. Six care-leavers with intellectual disabilities and/or autism were purposively selected from residential care settings in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with care-leavers in five waves over eighteen months. COVID-19 lockdowns impacted participants’ care-leaving journey and the study. Interviews made use of Picture Exchange Communication Systems and communication facilitation by caregivers, depending on the participant’s impairment. Young care-leavers with intellectual disabilities and/or autism attained better outcomes in several domains, even though they were not (and were not expected to be) fully independent. Participants described personal, relational, and environmental enablers as enabling these resilience outcomes, with environmental enablers being particularly prominent. This is the first study on resilience processes among young care-leavers with disabilities in South Africa. Although leaving care (which involves a change of living environment and caregivers) and COVID-19 impacted the care-leavers’ transition, and notwithstanding challenges in living, better-than-expected outcomes were achieved by most study participants, thanks primarily to environmental resilience enablers..

Understanding the Agony of Child Brides from Low Resource Family Settings in Nigeria: Implication for Social Work Engagement

2024-01-26T02:11:14-08:00

The involvement of under-18s in legal unions has become a topical human rights concern. It appears to be more prevalent among female children from low-resource family settings, manifesting as another shade of gender inequality. The consequences of child marriages are enormous, affecting the psychosocial, physical and health status of victims. This study details the experiences of victims of child marriages, with concerns about females from low-resource family settings in Nigeria. The study employed a qualitative method of data collection utilizing Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) to elicit data from 12 female participants who are currently married and aged below 18 years and four renowned women residing in the community who are conversant with the issue in Enugu, Nigeria. Findings revealed that child marriage still prevails, though with the full consent of some girls, whereas others were lured. The result suggests that child marriage is adopted as a cover-up strategy by parents when dealing with poverty/teenage pregnancy. Other factors exacerbating child marriage were social norms, family size, structure, ignorance, deception, lack of support services and poverty level. Identified consequences of child marriage were health hazards, physical, emotional and financial difficulties. Coping strategies used by victims of child marriage were attending religious gatherings, adopting traditional medication/birth control methods and engaging in petty income-yielding businesses. Assistance for child brides came only from religious groups and good-spirited community members. Social workers’ engagement in the fight towards ending child marriage in Nigeria was not visible owing to poor involvement in child protection services. The study therefore recommends intensified efforts by social workers and the Nigerian government to enforce policies that will protect the girl-child, challenge the social norms and mitigate gender-based discrimination and violence. Government and non-governmental organizations in collaboration with social workers should brace-up efforts to ensure that welfare packages trickle down to child brides and ultimately end child marriage in Nigeria.

Militancy and children’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Experiences from Nigeria

2024-05-23T23:13:18-07:00

Armed violence is significantly associated with mental stress among those who are affected by it. The experience tends to be extreme for children, who as soft targets are very prone to suffer a combination of physical harm and mental torture even beyond childhood. To provide more evidence about this, the current study investigated the effects of militancy on the experience and prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among children in Imo State, Nigeria. In-depth interviews were used to obtain information from 16 respondents. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select children affected by militancy-related post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as adults, who helped with triangulating the responses of the children. Findings revealed that post-traumatic stress disorder among children included the experiences of anxiety, lack of concentration, violent nightmares, loss, displacement and disruption of daily life routine. Despite limited access to mental health services, traditional methods were commonly used to address post-traumatic stress disorder. Hence, the need to incorporate cultural perspectives into mental health interventions, emphasizing the need for culturally attuned approaches to address the mental well-being of affected children. Caregivers such as psychologists, guidance counselors, psychiatrists, school administrators, and social workers can link, advocate and collaborate with relevant authorities to establish accessible and culturally sensitive mental health services in the community.

The Views of Parents Subject to Child Protection Investigation for their Child or Children with Disabilities: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

2022-10-10T16:45:49-07:00

The views and experiences of parents subject to child protection processes are instrumental for developing rigorous, effective and compassionate child protection practice. Simultaneously, children with disabilities are well established to experience gravely heightened risk of abuse and neglect above their non-disabled peers. Here unique and additional impediments to effectual safeguarding practice for children with disabilities are also documented. Even so, there is virtually no research that focuses on the views and experiences of parents of children with disabilities, who were subject to child protection processes, regarding their parenting of those children. With the safety and welfare of children with disabilities at stake, it is suggested that these parental views are critical to gather and comprehend. This article presents qualitative research findings of a study that conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of parents of children with disabilities in Britain and Ireland. Parental accounts reveal key dimensions of being subject to child protection processes, such as avoidable experiences of emotional adversity, and critical learning arising from interactions with child protection procedures and systems. The article concludes with evidence-based reflections on the utmost importance of emotionally sensitive, collaborative child protection work with parents.

Review of: Care Poverty When Older People’s Needs Remain Unmet

2024-09-24T03:33:45-07:00

Strengthening social work services in the health sectors of Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Taking lessons from social work actions/inactions in Covid-19 response in Nigeria

2023-08-10T03:39:26-07:00

The social work profession is growing in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Nigeria, the profession recently got backed by an act of law, yet with persisting grey areas about its roles and responsibilities in the health sector, as well as many other sectors. The relegation of social work in containing Covid-19, and generally in Nigeria’s health sector, is largely lamented by published studies. As similar countries to Nigeria face this same challenge, there is a need to reflect on the limited roles of social work in health and what can be done to address this. A global agenda in the ‘Health in All Policies’ (HiAP) aligns with the need to consolidate social care and justice in healthcare. This commentary, through a review of literature and contextual experience, recommends a tripartite approach (union, community presence, and documented protocol), in scaling up social work presence in contexts where they struggle for identity