The society being the centerpiece of a civilization must have its own regulations and standards that create order and stability, governed by morals and obligations. Social work is an important aspect in the development of the society. A lot depends on the social worker and the care they put into their work, and very often they are considered the front line of progress, as they have to deal directly with people, families, individuals who look up to them for help and advice. In a case where a social worker faces a dilemma of separating a child from parents who are not in the position to take care of that child for whatever reasons, an ethical issue comes into play, where a lot has to be weighed and measured—from personal, public and ethical perspectives.
There are several ethical dilemmas that arise when making a decision in regards to the family. The choice of whether to report the suspicion of the abuse or not and how it will affect the well being of the family. This is a hard issue for the social worker, because of the private knowledge about the family. The worker is faced with a decision if it will be worse for the child to be taken away to a foster home, or a different family, unknown environment or the child should stay with the family but in a negative environment (Bartlett, 1961, p. 44). The parties affected here will be the whole family-father, mother and the daughter, but also the social worker and the organization that employs them.
If the social worker reports the suspected abuse there could a trial, and there is a possibility of losing it, as there might not be enough evidence to prove that there is any abuse really happening. Or the trial could be won and the child would be taken to a foster home, or reside with relatives. Another option is for the social worker to speak with the mother reasonably and in a sensitive way, so that the mother does not get angry and defensive. If she is spoken to, she might decide to change her attitude and take steps to deal with her child in a caring and responsible manner.
In the long term it would be better if the mother stayed with the child, as she is the closest family member. She could be educated on how to raise children and deal with own problems and issues, which should not affect the children and their emotional state in a negative way (Rogowski, 2012, p. 927). Unfortunately there is no guarantee in the prediction of how long this behavior will last for and what kind of life the children will have in the future. If the child is given away to foster home, the possible positive side is that there is a controlled environment, focused on educating the child and the care for their health and well being. But from the other perspective the child will grow up with people that are not their immediate family. Maybe the family that adopts or a foster home could be more reliable, as there is monitoring and checkups that are mandatory, but it is not for certain. On the other hand if the parents show a potential of change and after some time continue to consistently be responsible and supporting, this outcome would be best for a child in the long run.
In the selection of the right course of action, I think that ethical issues are considered the most important. There might be several problems for the social worker with the legality of the problem, administrative penalties and fines, but that is a choice they would have to make. For example if a social worker decides to proceed to the trial they are jeopardizing their financial state by the possibility of being fired. But if the worker does their research and has strong reasons to proceed to the trial, a clear consciousness and the possible outcome of helping a child/family in need, will be much more rewarding than any inaction. That is why ethical principles are more important, because they deal with a life of human being, a child who is unable to take care of themselves and it is up to the adults who are responsible, to take care of their emotional and physical well being.
The social worker is specifically put into a family setting to make observations and then come up with a decision and a conclusion about the best way of solving the problem. As per social worker’s profession, they have a duty, before the private client and the society itself, to establish and support an environment that is free of discrimination, on any level and for any reason, they have to make sure that everyone is receiving equal opportunity and access to the resources and needed care and the social worker has to better the society by influencing legislations, regulations, rules and the starting point is the particular cases of the clients that will guide the change of the policies (Rhodes, 1986, p. 12). If the social worker decides to pursue this problem legally, they must do all the necessary research, gather the evidence, consult with other professionals in the field of social work, as well as legal workers. In case it came to a point where this issue and the information would have to be shared with a work colleague, it should be done with great amount of caution and selection of that colleague. This is privileged information and should only be shared with trusted and competent people.
Another important point to consider is the beliefs and/or religion of the person who is requiring attention. If there are religious taboos or rules that might create problems for the outcome, or would gravely break the family tradition, these cases should be treated with extra care and sensitivity, but should not be a reason or an excuse to permit discrimination or maltreatment of a person to continue.
When setting up a plan of action, there should be several important steps. The first and most important question to ask is: Is someone suffering undeservingly and through whose fault? If it is not the person themselves who is causing the suffering and additionally if it is a child, who is limited in their development and abilities, then right away some action must be taken. Human suffering is the worst that could happen, especially if it is a helpless child. The next step is to consult the primary caregiver in a very sensitive way, excluding any pressure. The situation must be thoroughly explained and analyzed. If several attempts of such approach do not lead to any results, then it should be taken further to the colleagues and management. If that does not work and the social worker is truly determined to help, they could make it public and go to trial, advocating human equality and rights. Of course there is a risk that the worker will be fired, but at least they will not regret their inaction.
From my own experience, growing up in a society that values human rights and freedoms, where everyone deserves an equal chance to live and prosper, the right thing to do would be to follow this matter with the most serious intentions. As this emotional abuse is happening every day it must be stopped, brought to the attention of the society and institutions, governments and the only way of doing this is to start dealing with such particular private cases, making them public and creating an example for others, so that they don’t have to hesitate or be afraid of undeserving punishment or prosecution. To change the society and the way it is viewed from a side people must start from an individual level, because there are many problems that are similar, with someone else having the same problem, and by addressing these individual cases, the society will move forward in bettering the treatment of itself and people in it. The society is very interested in this change for the better, as well as the individuals, because if the quality of life increases there will be more opportunity to prosper for both the country and its population on an individual level. A more stable and rewarding personal experience will create a supporting base for emotional stability in the society, where people are more happy, willing to put in the time to work, to better their world and to help others, as they themselves will understand the importance and value of a quality living.
References
Bartlett, H. (1961). Analyzing Social Work Practice by Fields. New York: National Association of Social Workers.
Rhodes, M. (1986). Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice. Norfolk, Great Britain: Thetford Press Ltd.
Rogowski, S. (2012). Social Work with Children and Families: Challenges and Possibilities in the Neo-Liberal World. British Journal of Social Work, 42, 921-940.