Work with Children in the Family Context

Abstract

As defined in the introduction, child abuse occurs in the family context and therefore it would seem logical that helping the child should, in many cases, take place within the family context. This chapter is not designed as an in-depth study of family therapy. It looks at the type of help which a social worker, with some understanding of family dynamics, can undertake. All the suggestions are based on practical experience. The workers who used the methods described were all busy professionals with many other demands on their time and with few facilities. They did not regard themselves as ‘experts’ but they acquired an expertise by careful planning, by accepting guidance from colleagues, by practising techniques and by always being sensitive to the feelings and needs of the clients.