SOCW-6200-Wk4-Human behavior and the Social Environment The case of Brandon
Assignment: Child Abuse and Neglect
Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse can have a devastating impact on a child and his or her family members. Social workers need to understand how to recognize and respond to cases of abuse expertly and efficiently. With an empathetic and helpful social worker, victims/survivors of abuse can take their first step onto the long road toward healing.
For this Assignment, read the case study Working With Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Trauma: The Case of Brandon and then consider what you would do if you were a social worker and had to report a parent of suspected child abuse.
·Submit a 2-page paper in which you review the approach taken by the social worker in Brandon’s case.
· Identify how the social worker might have used the ecological model to understand Brandon’s situation based on a person-in-environment perspective.
· Explain the use of the ecological model in this case on micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
Describe strengths the social worker may have missed in assessing Brandon and his mother.
· Review the challenges that the social worker identifies and explain the impact the abuse could have had on Brandon had his strengths not been identified and addressed. Please use the Learning Resources to support your answer.
The social worker in Brandon’s case took an empathetic and supportive approach. She listened actively, validated Brandon’s feelings, and helped him develop coping skills to deal with his trauma. The social worker also recognized the importance of working with Brandon’s mother to address her trauma and to provide a safe and supportive environment for Brandon.
The social worker might have used the ecological model to understand Brandon’s situation by recognizing the various systems that interacted with him. From a person-in-environment perspective, the social worker would have considered the individual, the family, the community, and the larger societal factors that influenced Brandon’s experiences.
On a micro-level, the social worker would have assessed Brandon’s individual strengths and challenges, such as his coping skills and trauma symptoms. On a mezzo-level, the social worker would have looked at the family system and identified the strengths and challenges within that system. Finally, on a macro-level, the social worker would have considered the larger societal factors that impact survivors of sexual abuse and trauma, such as the availability of resources and access to services.
The social worker may have missed strengths in assessing Brandon and his mother. For example, she could have explored their cultural and community strengths that support resiliency and coping. Additionally, the social worker may have overlooked the mother’s own experiences of trauma and how it impacted her ability to support her son.
If the social worker had not identified Brandon’s strengths and addressed his trauma, the impact of abuse could have been severe. The trauma could have led to mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, which could have affected Brandon’s academic, social, and emotional development. Additionally, the lack of support and intervention could have led to further abuse, which would exacerbate the long-term negative effects of abuse and trauma.
In conclusion, the social worker in Brandon’s case took an empathetic and supportive approach that recognized the importance of working with both Brandon and his mother to address trauma and provide a safe and supportive environment. The ecological model helped the social worker understand Brandon’s situation from a person-in-environment perspective, allowing her to identify strengths and challenges on micro, mezzo, and macro levels. While the social worker did a thorough job, she could have further explored cultural and community strengths and considered the impact of the mother’s trauma on her ability to support her son.
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