Principles of SW

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Principles of Acceptance: Social work accepts the individual as he or she is with all his/her limitations.

Social work believes that acceptance is the crux of all help. Social worker does not condemn or feel
hostile towards a client because his behavior differs from the approved one. The principle of acceptance
implies that social worker must perceive, acknowledge, receive and establish a relationship with the
individual client as he actually is, not as social worker wishes him to be or think he should be.

Principle of Individualization: - The principle of individualization is fundamental to effective social work


practice. Social work believes in the uniqueness of individual. Each individual is different from that of
every other individual nature. As we know that individual is unique as his thumb print. The social worker
views the problem of each client as specific and helps the client move forward finding the most
satisfactory means for client to deal with particular problem situation.

Principle of Communications: - Communication is a two-way process most of the problem that give pain
are precisely the problem of communication. When the communication is inadequate or insufficient the
problems occurs either automatically or because of misunderstanding. The social worker should have
enough skills to grasp the communication. The proper communication is crucial in social work
relationship because the background of the client and worker may be different, the mental status of the
client and the worker may vary. Therefore, the social worker should make all the efforts to see that
communication between him and client is proper. The client should be made feel comfortable and at
ease to express his thoughts feelings and facts.

Principle of Confidentiality: - Social work believes that during the professional help between the client
and social worker, client have the right of personal information about themselves in relationship with a
social agency. The principle believes that confidential things of the client must be kept confidential and
other agencies and individual & should be consulted only with the client’s consent.

Principle of Self Determination: - The principle emphasizes client’s right to self-determination. Every
individual client has the right to decide what is appropriate for him and decides the ways and means to
realize it. In other words, social worker should not force decisions or solutions on the clients because the
client has come to him for help. Therefore, social worker should support and guide the client to develop
insight into his social situations in correct perspective and encourage and involve him to like decisions
that are good and acceptable to him.

Principle of Non-judgmental Attitude: - Principle of non-judgmental attitude presumes that the social
worker should begin the professional relationship without any bias. He should not form opinion about
the client, good or bad, worthy or unworthy. He has to treat the client as somebody who has come to
him for help and he should be willing to help the client without being influenced by the opinions of
other about the client or his situation. This enables the worker and the client feel free to develop
understanding of each other.
Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement: - This principle guides social work professional not to
indulge too much personally in the client's difficult situation or being too objective. Therefore, the social
worker should maintain a reasonable emotional distance even while sympathizing with the client social
worker should indicate the understanding of the difficult situations of the client without showing pity or
appearing to be indifference.

Functions of Social Work


1. Restorative/curative/remedial/rehabilitative functions - to assist individuals and groups to identify
and resolve or minimize problems arising out of disequilibrium between themselves and the
environment.
curative aspect - seeks to remove factors which have caused the breakdown in the person's social
functioning.
rehabilitative aspect - tries to put back the person to a normal or healthy state of social functioning.
One example for curative aspect is helping a girl who engages in prostitution for a living to change her
ways through counseling relationship and effecting necessary changes in her home or environmental
conditions. the rehabilitative aspect could involve helping her avail herself of opportunities for
schooling, skills training, and legitimate employment.

2. Preventive function - to identify potential areas of disequilibrium between individuals or groups and
the environment in order to prevent occurrence of disequilibrium. This involves early discovery, control
and elimination of those conditions or situations which may have a harmful effect on social functioning.
Examples of this function include counseling on premarital and other family problems, sex education of
youth to prevent early marriage, sexual abuse; and working for the enactment of laws and policies that
would help prevent abuse of women and children.

3. Developmental function - to seek out, identify and strengthen the maximum potential in individuals,
groups and communities. The aim is both to help the individual make maximum use of his potentials and
capacities as well as to further the effectiveness of available social or community resources.
Examples of developmental function would include helping unemployed and underemployed
breadwinners to avail themselves of opportunities for skills training while at the same time providing
necessary supportive services.

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