ABSTRACT
Social work pioneers utilized groups to facilitate socialization, help manage difficult life transitions, and further advocacy efforts. Mutual aid, one of group work’s primary principles, coincides with the social work value of the importance of human relationships. Groups offer many opportunities for healing and are a regular component of social work practice. There are some ethical challenges that are distinctive to group work, while other challenges can arise in all methods of practice. Ethical challenges can ensue when group facilitators do not recognize cultural diversity or the route/context of members to the group. G. Wood and R. Middleman point to the need for social workers to attain insight into organizational function. If this insight is deficient, the possibility of ethical challenges increases. Whilst ethical practice in group work is an iterative process and will evolve based on context and time, the need for research and revision keep the power of groups alive.
