How Can Social Workers Ensure that They Engage Fathers in Their Work with Children - Article Example

In their work with children and their families how can social workers ensure that they engage fathers appropriately?  Social workers come across a diverse range of children and families in their line of work. The changing nature of family life is cognizant of the fact that each case needs to be worked on an individual basis without generalizing the context and issue at hand. In most cases during the treatment of children absent fathers are left out for several reasons. Many times, mothers feel they need to be marginalized due to their absence; clinicians inadvertently end up excluding them. (Sieber, 2008) Another reason is that children might not feel comfortable around the presence of someone they perceive to be an outsider – by the time they are told of their relationship with the father; they might already be undergoing feelings of betrayal and helplessness. Most of the social work literature that is found extols the virtues of a single mother, who in spite of great hardships is able provide a loving and caring environment to her children. Most of the literature deals with issues of social workers trying to help single mothers raise their children properly; this downplays the importance of fathers, especially when absent fathers are considered better than fathers being a part of the household and sporting vices. More research needs to be done to determine the importance of a father in the life of children and how bringing in fathers to help with the treatment of children can prove to be beneficial rather than hurting the cause. (Tozer, 1999) Current research is of the view that most social work endeavours do not include the father in a possible solution; that is to say that the fathers are not taken into account when thinking of a way to help the child progress. Even though government agencies have put their weight behind the involvement of fathers with social work projects there is a dearth of any such practices on a wider scale. It is also interesting to note that whereas, contemporary view on child care and social welfare commends the role of fathers in such directives; welfare agencies promote the “uninvolved father”. Moreover, many social workers and child care agencies do not even bother visiting the father when working on childcare solutions. This is ironic considering that most of the times it is the father who is as the base of the tension and should be consulted when trying to work out a solution. Instead of sidestepping from the issues at hand and banishing the presence of fathers from the lives of children it is more pragmatic to involve them in whatever solution the social welfare agency is trying to come up with. There are exceptions, of course. Social workers should keep in mind that fathers play a vital role in the developmental stages of a child. As a child reaches school going age, fathers help to teach their kids how to meet challenges and overcome obstacles with time. Fathers often ask their kids to involve themselves with new experiences and by trying out new roles. (Amato, 1986) Social workers can build upon this aspect during the treatment of the child. If a child is hesitant to speak of and try out new things for the fear of being rejected, the father can help the child overcome this fear. Sometimes a child may not be comfortable in letting out his emotions and fears in front of the mother, especially if she has been single handily raising the child. If this is true, then the social worker might want to consider the option of brining in the father. Often, a change of perspective can help the child under treatment open up. The father can offer that perspective. It should be noted, however, that some children might not be comfortable with fathers around. Social workers need to take great care when determining the way a child has to be treated. They should ensure, foremost the benefit and comfort level of the children they are working with and should not give in to familial pressures. (Scourfield, 2003) In professional practices, social welfare fails to hold the father accountable for his side. The father may be guilty of absence or violence and abuse; many times he is not prosecuted or let off the hook by being ignored. The father, in essence, is not particularly asked to make an assessment of the situation; whereas a mother has to. When working with children social workers are faced with many dilemmas. As every child’s problems are different from another; no generalizations can be made to communicate with the child. Children under treatment could be suffering either from the pre-post effects of a violent divorce, absent parents, and drug related problems etc. When treating these children their scenarios should be kept separate from each other. Moreover, if external factors are going to be introduced during treatment (such as fathers or mothers) clinicians should ensure that the external factor will prove to help with treating the child rather than worsening the situation. This is why bitter and resentful fathers should not be introduced into such an equation. It is better if the external factors are either neutral or positive to ensure the treatment of the subject. A bitter father could end up destroying the self-esteem of a child. Moreover, abusive fathers should also be kept away, unless the clinicians feel they have hit a deadlock with the child and have no hope of communicating with him without the help of an external factor. Even if a father is seen as a risk assessment, he can help bring out a certain aspect or part of the child’s life that could benefit in the analysis and subsequent treatment. (Ryan, 2000) The engagement of males with a family is probably the most important step to warrant progress with treatment. Instead of marginalizing fathers, they should be brought in to work with their children. Many times, fathers find it easy to communicate in a setup outside their homes; an ironically bitter fact. Under the guidance of a social worker, daily meetings could be set up where the child and father could sit and talk out their issues. If the child is unresponsive at first, clinicians should not give up hope; rather try the routine in a more rigorous fashion. The founder of the Institute for American Values believes that a fatherless household is the “root of all evil”. (Blankenhorn, 1995) Hence, by introducing a father into the treatment of the child can go a long way in helping not only the child but addressing the issues that work in a wider context. With relation to social work there is variation on how far does a particular country allow its social work departments to interfere in the privacy of a family. Some states feel that the children’s welfare is more important than a family’s privacy and that they should let social work organizations interfere. Others, however, are of an opposing view. Hence the issue of helping a child getting back to a normal life is dependent upon many factors, one of them being state policies. (Featherstone, 2004) In order for child welfare to progress and befit from new researches taking place, it is up to the government to tighten its policies regarding child welfare and make amendments where researchers and clinicians feel that its policies are lax and not up to the mark. Only through concentrated effort can welfare schemes be made to work for children as well as families that turn to social workers for a solution to their problems. Social workers have their work cut out for them, in that they need to be fully aware of the situation they are dealing with. Instead of trying new and varied methods on children they should draw on sufficient prior research to determine the best context for the children they are dealing with and then treat them accordingly. For children who come from broken homes and have been neglected all their life; parents, especially fathers should be involved by counselling them and asking them to think of their child’s benefit. It is not always an easy job and many times fathers may choose to not become a part of their child’s treatment. Nevertheless, involving a father with his child’s treatment can go a long way in helping not only the social worker reach out and communicate with the child but also the child getting back to the semblance of a normal life. By seeking out fathers to engage as either “risks” or “assets” the discourse on child welfare and the importance of the presence of a father would go a long way in helping other organizations and governmental agencies. Bibliography Amato, P. (1986). Marital conflict, the parent-child relationship, and child self-esteem. In P.R.Amato, Family Relations (pp. 403-410). Solomon Press. Blankenhorn, D. (1995). Fatherless America: confronting our most urgent social problem. the University of Michigan : BasicBooks. Featherstone, B. (2004). Fathers Matter: A Research Review. Children and Society Volume 18 , 312-319. Ryan, M. (2000). Working With Fathers. Radcliffe Medical Press. Scourfield, J. (2003). Gender and Child Protection . Palgrave. Sieber, D. (2008). Engaging Absent Fathers in the Treatment of Children. Clinical Social Work Journal , 34-39. Tozer, S. R. (1999). 20 Questions: the research needs of children and family social workers. Research, Policy and Planning , 7-15. Read More