ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the necessary skills for social work with families within which violence occurs. It emphasises the skills used to work with families where child abuse has occurred. Family systems theory provides a view of families as one whole made up of interconnected parts, where occurrences in one part of the family system, or to one member of the family, have an impact on other parts of the system. Researchers have explored the skills used by social workers in their work with families, where children have been harmed and findings indicate that the ability of the social worker to engage is central to how families view the service they have received. Three components are central to engagement with families: social worker attitude, knowledge and skills. The next part of the chapter explores these components in relation to critical social work practice and theory.
