Social Work and Child Abuse (British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Practical Social Work)

Well-publicised cases of child abuse have brought heavy media criticism of the social work role in prevention and child protection. This book attempts to bring a sense of perspective to allay the anxieties and fears felt by many social workers. The authors resist the idea that child abuse is a special 'disease' and develop a broad based strategy encompassing both individual therapy and environmental approaches. ' ... Cooper and Ball's short introduction to child abuse in the Practical Social Work Series is a remarkable achievement in that it provides local authority social workers and general social work students with a concise overview of issues related to working in child abuse.' Issues in Social Work Education Developments, Definitions And Reactions. The Expanding Field ; Incidence And Statistics ; The Present Extent Of Abuse ; Social Services And Abuse -- Other Agencies And Child Abuse. Doctors ; Health Visitors ; The Police ; National Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To -- Social Workers' Anxieties And Needs. Ssd Structure And Anxiety ; Feelings ; The Need For Support -- Assessing Risk And Taking Risks. Risk Analysis ; Hazards To Children ; The Dynamics Of Risk ; Family Abuse By Workers ; Strengths In Risk-taking -- Social Workers As Investigators. The Legal Position ; Effective And Efficient Investigation -- Social Workers And Therapists. Is Therapy Viable ; Concentrated Therapeutic Intervention ; Therapeutic Theory And The Knowledge Base ; Therapy And The Overall Plan -- Strategies For Tomorrow. Obstacles To Child Abuse Work ; Developing Child Abuse Work ; The Wider View - Examples In Practice ; Balancing The Roles. David M. Cooper And David Ball. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 152-157. Front Matter....Pages i-xi Developments, Definitions and Reactions....Pages 1-18 Other Agencies and Child Abuse....Pages 19-41 Social Workers’ Anxieties and Needs....Pages 42-59 Assessing Risk and Taking Risks....Pages 60-77 Social Workers as Investigators....Pages 78-93 Social Workers as Therapists....Pages 94-120 Strategies for Tomorrow....Pages 121-146 Back Matter....Pages 147-160