Maatskaplikewerk-dienste ter voorkoming van gesinsverbrokkeling by blankes

Abstract

SOCIAL WORK SERVICES FOR THE PREVENTION OF FAMILY DISINTEGRATION IN WHITES Social work services have developed to provide auxilliary services as regards man's social needs. Social work services are aimed at developing the individual, the family, the group and community's effective social functioning and to prevent and treat malfunctioning. The family forms a part of God's plan in creation and should therefore find its calling and destination in its Creator. The nuclear family fulfils important functions in the community. The foundation for an effective social functioning is laid in the family. Characteristic obstacles increase the risk of the family system disintegrating. Family disintegration is a painful experience which has to be prevented at all levels. Family disintegration manifests itself in divorce, abandonment, cohabitation, death, child negligence and abuse. Social work services are rendered to prevent the disintegration of families on primary, secondary and tertiary level. In the social work practice there is a deficiency as regards the primary prevention of family disintegration. Focus falls on the treatment and after-care of family disintegration after it has already taken on serious dimensions. There are also obstacles which handicap preventative services. Primary prevention focuses on potentially undesirable conditions and the strengthening of existing positive conditions. Increased attention, especially through community work, should be given in this regard. Secondary preventative services include the early identification and treatment of family disintegration. Secondary preventative services enjoy high priority, but can be extended. Tertiary preventative services are rendered after the family has disintegrated. The prevention of family disintegration on primary level is not the exclusive task of the social worker and sound connections with other professions and instances are essential. Existing gaps in the social work practice should be regarded as a challenge so that family disintegration should not only be treated, but also be prevented at all levels.