The role of the social worker in the team for the protection of the child in the situation of abuse

Abstract

The main purpose of all agencies and institutions involved in the management of crimes against children is to ensure their safety and well-being. A multidisciplinary team approach enables a coordinated response to child victims and creates a system for investigating and prosecuting child abuse, thus reducing the trauma of abuse. Professional multidisciplinary teams identify and treat child abuse, and a social worker is often the team coordinator. The social worker is the glue that holds a team together. He is adept at working at multiple professional levels to direct team efforts. Most importantly, the social worker ensures effective communication throughout the diagnosis and treatment of child abuse cases, especially when the family is not comfortable with the abuse situation  Each discipline obviously brings specific skills, and through the effort of an effective multidisciplinary team, the result of the vulnerable child in a situation of abuse can be greatly improved.