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WHAT DO SOCIAL WORKERS READ ABOUT CHILD ABUSE?

NCJ Number
55539
Journal
Child Welfare Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1979) Pages: 13-24
Author(s)
L P CAIN; L V KLERMAN
Date Published
1979
Length
12 pages
Annotation
SOCIAL WORK LITERATURE ON CHILD ABUSE FROM 1974 THROUGH 1976 IS REVIEWED AND ASSESSED.
Abstract
ANALYSIS OF THE CONTENT OF FOUR PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS COMMONLY READ BY SOCIAL WORKERS--CHILD WELFARE, SOCIAL CASEWORK, SOCIAL WORK, AND THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY--REVEALED A TOTAL OF 27 ARTICLES ON CHILD ABUSE. A REVIEW OF ABSTRACTS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS FOR THE SAME PERIOD FOUND AN ADDITIONAL 17 ARTICLES FROM OTHER SOURCES. IT APPEARS THAT, ALTHOUGH SOCIAL WORKERS MAY BE EXPOSED TO MATERIAL ON CHILD ABUSE IN THE PROFESSIONAL LITERATURE, NO ONE PUBLICATION (WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF CHILD WELFARE) DEALS INTENSIVELY WITH THE ISSUE. EACH ARTICLE IN THE FOUR PERIODICALS SURVEYED FOCUSES EITHER ON PROGRAM REPORTS, PRACTICE ISSUES, RESEARCH FINDINGS, THEORETICAL ISSUES, OR LITERATURE REVIEWS (ALTHOUGH SOME OVERLAPPING OF FOCUS DOES OCCUR). THESE ARTICLES REPRESENT A VARIETY OF CONTENT, LEVELS OF SOPHISTICATION, AND USE OF SECONDARY SOURCES (AS REFLECTED IN LISTS OF REFERENCES). THE HEAVY EMPHASIS IN THE LITERATURE ON PRACTICE AND PROGRAM ISSUES REFLECTS THE PRACTICE ORIENTATION OF THE SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION, BUT THE PAUCITY OF RESEARCH-ORIENTED ARTICLES RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP OF PRACTICE TO RESEARCH. THE SOCIAL WORK LITERATURE ON CHILD ABUSE SEEMS DISPARATE AND POORLY AGGREGATED--THE EFFORTS OF MANY PROFESSIONALS VIEWING A PROBLEM FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES, WITH LITTLE ATTEMPT AT SYNTHESIS. ONE RESULT OF THE FAILURE TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH ON CHILD ABUSE HAS BEEN THAT GENERALIZATIONS OFTEN ARE REPEATED UNTIL THEY ASSUME THE STATURE OF FACT. A SECOND WEAKNESS OF THE LITERATURE IS THAT OBSERVATIONS BY SOCIAL WORKERS SELDOM ARE USED AS THE BASIS FOR RESEARCH. SOCIAL WORKERS SHOULD ACCEPT THE GENERATION OF CHILD ABUSE RESEARCH AND THEORY AS PART OF THEIR OBLIGATION TO THEIR CLIENTS. REFERENCES ARE LISTED. (LKM)

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