Citation

Jones LP, Gross E. Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 2000; 22(5): 355-371.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0190-7409(00)00085-2

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper examines social work practice in child welfare for the purpose of identifying how social workers intervene with cases containing domestic violence, and describes their attitudes and beliefs toward those cases. Two hundred service workers employed in a public child welfare agency completed a self-administered questionnaire. The instrument contained standardized scales that measured respondents' attitudes about domestic violence. The instrument also contained vignettes that described a domestic violence case. Responses on the vignettes were assumed to provide a description of the workers' practice. Social workers (MSW's and BSW's) responses were contrasted with other workers. Fifty-six percent of respondents said they would engage in safety planning. Workers were in substantial agreement that physical contact or threats of physical force constituted domestic violence. Also unambiguously defined as domestic violence was insisting a partner have unwanted sex. Workers were less likely to label situations that did not involve a physical confrontation as domestic violence. Workers favored psychological and cultural explanations for domestic violence; whereas workers discounted structural explanations for domestic violence. Respondents for the most part did not identify any situations where they thought hitting would be appropriate. The implications of these findings are discussed.