Forensic social work or consequences of theoretical and practical chaos in social work with offenders
On the Theoretical Contexts of Social Work
Since I am commenting on the theoretical contexts of social work, I consider at least a brief mention of the current state of the relationship between theory and practice in the field of social work to be necessary, as I perceive it as a current inspiration for professional discussion. The primary competence in this area belongs to the Association of Educators in Social Work, whose first step toward changing the current state could be the updating of the corpus of social work.
What is the current state of the theoretical contexts of social work, and how do these contexts respect the need for practice in the social sphere? Bc. Jan Syrový, who was called an "enfant terrible" of Czech social work in an interview published in the journal Sociální práce/Sociálna práca (Kopřivová, 2009, pp. 7 - 9), states that "… je třeba, aby sociální práce začala nabízet produkty jiné. Teorie, metody a techniky, které budou užitečné … přístupy, které budou přinášet užitek a lidé je budou sami chtít, protože uvidí, že jim pomáhají". When asked whether he saw any way out for the desired adjustment of this state, a member of the Prolegomena group(1) replied: „Přestat si lhát – akademici. Přestat se bát – praktici. Kupovat si pouze užitečné věci – poskytovatele sociálních služeb. Platit pouze užitečné věci – stát. Otevřeně se konfrontovat“.
Although I do not identify with many of the views published in this interview as an academic and practitioner in the field of social work, I consider the demand for reflection on the relationship between the theory of social work and the practice of social work to be beneficial. The relationship between the theory and practice of social work as a system (Figure 1) contains four basic components:
- science and research (theoretical concepts, paradigms, research findings),
- education (theoretical foundations, methods, techniques, approaches, research methodology), - practice (application in practice and resources for evaluation), - evaluation (assessment, change of foundations, in relation to effectiveness).
An analysis of these components would require a separate workshop, but if I use the "miracle question," it would sound in this context as follows: "How should it be?" The answer is an example. If I identify the resocialization of an offender as an area of interest for social work, then it is determined by answers to the following questions:
a) what are the theoretical concepts, paradigms and research in the field of social work concerning the resocialization of offenders? (e.g. the paradigm of evidence-based practice), b) what theoretical knowledge, specific methods, techniques, approaches and research methodology in the area of resocialization of offenders does the field of social work offer within education and in which specific courses? (e.g. the course forensic social work, methods such as a self-help group, motivational interviewing, etc.), c) what from the field of social work (what methods, techniques, approaches, research methodology) is implemented in practice? (e.g. a system for assessing offenders, which does not exist in the conditions of the Slovak Republic), d) how are the individual methods and techniques, etc., reassessed in relation to research and science? (e.g. are changes in the field of social work reflected in relation to methods that may be considered ineffective on the basis of current scientific trends?).
The stated relationship between theory and practice of social work as a system contains a causality that should not be disrupted, and I express the conviction that if the field does not pass through answers to the questions of individual components, it can hardly be characterized as an area of interest of social work. Of course, it is necessary to respect the multidisciplinarity of social work, the practical orientation of social work and social work as a response to social problems. When we think about the vision of social work, the output of the components of the system of the relationship between theory and practice of social work should be, for example, that a student of the master's degree program in social work will be a narrowly specialized expert on a selected area of social problems, and in practice (already during studies) will confront effective use of methods, techniques, and approaches acquired during university studies. At the same time, these areas will be reflected in science and research and will be evaluated. And it is precisely in this that social work (which, given its establishment in the conditions of the Slovak Republic in the 1990s, is acceptable) is still on its way. It is therefore not surprising that when we come into contact with graduates of other colleges or universities providing education in the field of social work abroad, we are confronted with the knowledge of a bachelor of social work who is narrowly profiled, for example, in the area of domestic violence as a subject of interest of social work. During three years of study specialized in the given issue, the student becomes perfectly oriented in all four of the above-mentioned components of the relationship between theory and practice of social work, and his/her education was oriented primarily toward the use of knowledge acquired during study in practice. As an example, Glasgow School of Social Work, University of Cambridge, etc. may be mentioned.
Forensic Social Work
What are the consequences of theoretical and practical chaos in social work with punished persons? What is terminological ambiguity and the non-systemic, consistently failing configuration of criminal policy in relation to recidivism? Both of these questions are closely interconnected and at the same time identify the need for changes in education and practice.
I presented the proposal of the concept of social work in criminal justice or forensic social work at several scientific events during 2009 – 2010(2). I consider this concept, with the identification of one of the new types of social work operating in the field of criminal justice, to be a step toward fulfilling the criteria of a functional system of theory and practice in the field of social work, which I addressed in the previous chapter of the contribution. From my perspective, the current practice and knowledge from science and research require a reassessment of the current state in the field of social work, which concerns not only forensic social work or social work in criminal justice, but also other "new" types of social work. What is currently lacking is primarily a comprehensive (and current) university textbook for students of social work with basic knowledge from the field, and at the same time an encyclopedia of the field of social work in our conditions, in the manner of the Blackwell Encyclopedia(3), where a student obtains basic knowledge about a specific technical term in the scope of one page, contact to an expert from the given country, and a broad spectrum of basic literature on the given area.
American authors Roberts and Springer (2007, p. 5), in a publication to which authors of American provenance from the field of criminal justice contributed, address forensic (legal) social work in the first main chapter entitled Origin and Current Development in Forensic Social Work. Forensic social work includes, for example:
- restorative justice policy and its practice,
- crisis intervention with victims of violent crime,
- a multisystemic approach to working with young offenders and their families,
- assessment of offender recidivism risk, etc.
Another group of American authors( Maschi, Bradley, Ward, 2009) emphasizes a broader conception of forensic social work and states that forensic social work focuses not only on the specific target group of victims and offenders within criminal justice(4), but extends into other various activities when clients come into contact with the law.
Within the master's degree program in applied social work, the course Forensic Social Work is implemented in the study plan as a seminar worth 4 credits. The aim of this course is to acquire theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the theory and application of forensic social work. The course focuses on legal aspects (imprisonment, remand custody, social guardianship for adult natural persons, probation and mediation in criminal matters, basics of penology, criminology and victimology), theoretical and applied areas in accordance with the latest scientific knowledge (forensic social work, evidence-based practice paradigm, "what works" approach, effective probation programs, recidivism reduction, offender assessment systems, post-penitentiary care, case management of offenders). The syllabus of the course contains the following 11 topics:
- Forensic social work,
- Imprisonment and remand custody,
- Case management of offenders,
- Probation and mediation in criminal matters,
- Basics of penology, criminology and victimology and their significance in forensic social work,
- Post-penitentiary care,
- The "what works" approach and the evidence-based practice paradigm,
- Offender assessment systems,
- Methods, techniques and programs of forensic social work with offenders,
- Multisystemic approach in forensic social work,
- Current trends and research findings in the field of forensic social work.
I assume that in the next twenty years the domain of the field of social work will be the preparation of specialized professionals oriented toward specific social problems, and at the same time I expect increasing pressure from the academic environment and practice for practically oriented education. In my view, the course forensic social work and its structure, as well as its implementation in practice (and not only as a seminar but perhaps also as a separate specialization at the master's degree level), would fulfill the appropriate expectations expressed by the words in the introduction „…metody a techniky, které budou užitečné … přístupy, které budou přinášet užitek a lidé je budou sami chtít, protože uvidí, že jim pomáhají…“. Author: PhDr. Martin Lulei, PhD.
(1) Prolegomena is an informal discussion group initiating changes in the field of social work as well as in other helping professions in the Czech Republic (note a.). (2) for example: The evidence-based practice paradigm in social work in criminal justice, 2010. In: Current State and Perspectives of Probation and Mediation: Proceedings of the international scientific conference, Prešov - 12.- 13. April 2010; Social work in criminal justice and forensic social work - trends and perspectives abroad, 2010. In: Lenka Haburajová-Ilavská Days of Social Work and InteRRa 8. III: Social sphere of the Slovak Republic and social work (Europe, law and practice) and Roma personalities. Part III. Proceedings of the conference with international participation held at Constantine the Philosopher University, Nitra - 11. - 12. November 2009; Social work in criminal justice and forensic social work as terra incognita of the theory and practice of social work in the Slovak Republic, 2010. In: New Aspects in Social Work II: Proceedings of the international scientific conference held at the Theological Institute in Spišské Podhradie on 16 March 2010. – Ružomberok; Social work in criminal justice as a tool of social inclusion of the marginalized group of punished persons in the SR and abroad - theoretical enthusiasm and practical skepticism, 2009. In: Social and economic hardship – security of the individual and society: Proceedings of the 1st Czech-Slovak scientific conference held on 22 and 23 May 2009 in Bratislava. (3) specifically: DAVIES, Martin. 2000. The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Social Work. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing 2000. 412 s. ISBN 0-631-21451-8. (4) Such a conception of forensic social work also includes target groups of clients to whom social workers provide advocacy and legal protection
MASCHI, Tina – BRADLEY, Carolyn – WARD, Kelly. 2009. Forensic social work: psychosocial and legal issues in diverse practice settings. Springer Publishing Company: New York, 2009. 398 p. ISBN 978-0-8261-1857-8. KOPŘIVOVÁ, Jana. 2009. Czech social work as a field has completely failed. In: Sociální práce/sociálna práca, no. 3, 2009, pp. 7 - 9. ISSN ROBERTS, Albert R.; SPRINGER, David W. 2007. Social Work in Juvenile and Criminal Justice Settings. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C Thomas, 2007. 438 s. ISBN 13978-0-398-07676-4.
Publications by the author: PhDr. Martin Lulei, PhD. - Social work in criminal justice and probation