Social work is one of the most dynamically developing disciplines and professions. We understand it as an applied field of science, an academic discipline and the professional activity of social workers who, through their purposeful direct action, help, guide, support and empower individuals and social systems (families, groups, communities, institutions) to acquire a sufficient level of social functioning and create favorable social conditions for achieving this goal.

One of the key prerequisites for qualified social workers is high-quality theoretical training, which is mainly implemented in higher education institutions in Slovakia. The subject of social pathology is an integral part of the bachelor's study of social work at most universities. Within it, students are introduced to the basic theoretical concepts of deviance, theories of their origin, as well as individual socio-pathological phenomena that threaten individuals, groups, families, communities and the whole society. The aim of the presented university textbook is not only the description of these theoretical foundations, but also the presentation of preventive strategies and social work activities that help prevent the emergence of selected socio-pathological phenomena. The author's choice of socio-pathological phenomena is based on his clinical practice, social counseling and social work in the field of domestic violence and homelessness. The third selected socio-pathological phenomenon is human trafficking. The main author of this part is social worker Magdaléna Halásová, with whom the author collaborated during her doctoral studies.

The presented university textbook is the second, supplemented and updated edition of the publication published in 2013 at UKF in Nitra, as part of the Virtual Faculty project co-financed from EU resources. The presented textbook is largely based on the author's monograph „Aplikovaná sociálna patológia v sociálnej práci“ (2011). It is supplemented by newer studies and adapted for the needs of teaching.

Title: Social pathology and prevention of selected socio-pathological phenomena

Authors: doc. PhDr. Ph.Dr. Andrej Mátel, PhD., mim. prof. Mgr. Magdaléna Halásová, PhD. (chapter 4)

Reviewers: doc. RNDr. Jaroslava Pavelková, CSc. doc. PhDr. Ladislav Roman, PhD.

Publisher: Society for the Development of Social Work

Edition: 2. supplemented and updated Release year: 2015

ISBN 978-80-971445-5-5