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Power with and power over: Social workers’ reflections on their use of power when talking with parents about child welfare concerns

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  • Saar-Heiman, Yuval

Abstract

Within the child protection system, social workers are often prompted to use their power in a productive (‘power-with’) rather than oppressive (‘power-over’) manner. This article aims to explore how social workers perceive their use of power when speaking with parents about child welfare concerns. The study was based on 20 in-depth interviews conducted with social work practitioners working in an Israeli child protection program. The findings point to the complexity of managing power within the extreme power imbalance of the child protection system. Workers described using three kinds of strategies when talking with parents about child welfare concerns: confrontational, dialogical, and avoidant. Yet the type of strategy utilized was not indicative of whether power was used with or over parents. Rather, the findings show how specific practices and skills used by workers and the rationales that informed them dictated whether power was used with parents or over them.

Suggested Citation

  • Saar-Heiman, Yuval, 2023. "Power with and power over: Social workers’ reflections on their use of power when talking with parents about child welfare concerns," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:145:y:2023:i:c:s0190740922004121
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106776
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lehtme, Rafaela & Toros, Karmen, 2020. "Parental engagement in child protection assessment practice: Voices from parents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    2. Gladstone, James & Dumbrill, Gary & Leslie, Bruce & Koster, Andrew & Young, Michelle & Ismaila, Afisi, 2014. "Understanding worker–parent engagement in child protection casework," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 56-64.
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    6. Arbeiter, Ere & Toros, Karmen, 2017. "Participatory discourse: Engagement in the context of child protection assessment practices from the perspectives of child protection workers, parents and children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 17-27.
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    8. Damiani-Taraba, Gissele & Dumbrill, Gary & Gladstone, James & Koster, Andrew & Leslie, Bruce & Charles, Michelle, 2017. "The evolving relationship between casework skills, engagement, and positive case outcomes in child protection: A structural equation model," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 456-462.
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