The use of authority with involuntary clients in child protective investigation.
Item
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Title
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The use of authority with involuntary clients in child protective investigation.
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Identifier
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AAI9530865
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identifier
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9530865
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Creator
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Davis, Elaine B.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Gary Anderson
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Date
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1995
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social Work | Sociology, Criminology and Penology
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Abstract
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Social work practice with involuntary clients is inherently different from work with voluntary clients. Yet social work practice with involuntary clients remains inadequately conceptualized in the professional literature. This qualitative study examined the means by which child protection workers initiate contact with involuntary clients and the relative success or ineffectiveness of such efforts in the formation of working relationships. Specifically, this research explored the use of authority and its effect upon the mandated client's subsequent development of resistance or compliance.;Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted over a period of six months with 29 respondents, including 16 investigative workers in a public child welfare agency and 13 parents whose cases had been substantiated for child abuse or neglect. Workers were recruited through informational group meetings held at the agency; client subjects were self-selected through their voluntary responses to invitations to participate that they received in the mail. Four major avenues of inquiry were explored including the nature of the involuntary encounter, the use of authority and its impact on the subsequent relationship between worker and client, the types of resistance most commonly presented by clients, and the worker strategies that facilitate the development of compliance or cooperation by the client.;The findings demonstrate that differential uses of authority produce varying results in the worker's capacity to engage clients. Coercive and authoritarian measures most often resulted in increased resistance, while the use of rewards, expertise and information, and referent authority enhanced the client's level of cooperation and compliance. Clients who interpreted workers' efforts as intended to help rather than punish tended to respond more favorably. Further, clients who anticipated loss of custody of their children were more likely to comply. Four worker strategies for managing the involuntary relationship are revealed in the data: (1) the presentation of self as helpful rather than punitive; (2) responsiveness to clients' basic needs for nurture; (3) use of empowerment strategies encouraging client partnership and active participation in decision-making; (4) building relationships based upon social exchange and emphasizing reciprocity and mutuality. Implications for social work practice, education, and further research are discussed.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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D.S.W.
