SAP102 Welfare Systems and Services in Australia Essay Sample

SAP102 Welfare Systems and Services in Australia

Task description

The purpose of this task is to demonstrate reflection, critical thinking, analysis, research, referencing and writing skills. In addition, you will demonstrate an emerging understanding of social services fields of practice.

For this task you need to write a 1000-word reflective essay,

1. Explain your own beliefs and assumptions associated with the social issues

2. Propose an approach based on your chosen fields of practice using evidence from the course content.

You will utilise either news, media, government papers, or reports to show the existence of this social issue in Australia. In your proposed approach, explain why it would address the social issue, including evidence of the approach being applied in another context. By using a reflective process, you will explain how your own beliefs and assumptions have led you to this approach. You will write clearly and succinctly, referencing sources as appropriate.

Choose from one of the following fields of practice and social issue:

- addiction - drug use

- child protection - physical child abuse

- housing - primary or tertiary homelessness

- income support - unemployment

- disability – discrimination

Criteria & Marking: 20%

- Use evidence (data/article/commentary) to show the existence of the social issue in your chosen field.

- Provide a clear proposal of what you would do to address this social issue. (4 marks)

- Show why you think your proposal would address the social issue by explaining an example of where this has been done historically, in other contexts, or other fields.

- State your personal beliefs and assumptions that led you to the identified approach of addressing the social issue and describe what influenced your beliefs and assumptions.

- Convey your writing with clarity by using correct APA7 formatting and referencing, as well as cohesive flow of your thoughts and reflections.

Solution

Introduction

Child abuse especially PHYSICAL CHILD ABUSE is one of the most important social issues that demand multifaceted approach to intervention. For a long time, I have made some predispositions concerning child protection as a result of which I became aware of the fact that every child has a right to be protected and raised in a safe environment (McClelland et al., 2020). As a pressing social issue affecting children in Australia, in this essay, I will present a plan to address the problem of physical child abuse while supplementing it with materials from articles, reports and scholarly sources. What follows is a description of how personal beliefs and assumptions have informed the formulation of this approach towards pathologization.

Reflection

Proving the Existence of Physical Child Abuse in Australia

There is evidence in the form of observation and research of physical child abuse being a concern for families in Australia. In fifty-four thousand three hundred and thirteen cases, physical abuse was among the main types of child abuse and neglect reported to the AIHW in the period of 2019-2020, as reported by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (McClelland et al., 2014). The National Child Protection Clearinghouse also points outs to the effect that physical abuse makes a significant percentage of child protection cases.

Moreover, cases for MBA assignment expert of child abuse appear in the media on daily basis, which gives the evidence of the problem and the necessity for an efficient intervention. Suggestions toward Physical Child abuse Control Thus, the appropriate actions to eliminate the problem of physical child abuse can be regarded as the following: improving community awareness of child abuse, enhancing support for families at risk, and optimizing reporting procedures and response measures. This approach is based on the analysis that child abuse is not a straightforward problem, but rather multifaceted.

• Community Education: Carrying large-scale public awareness programs and campaigns that educate people about the insignia’s of physical child battering and the need to report such cases. Such campaigns could be in Blu-Ray format and launched in schools, community centres, and media to have effectiveness in influencing the intended population.

• Support for At-Risk Families: Offering advocacy and counselling for families who can be categorized as high-risk cases of child abuse. This involves encouraging the use of parenting programs, counselling, and the provision of financial support to reduce stress factors likely to contribute to abusive actions.

• Improved Reporting and Intervention Mechanisms: The need to improve reporting of cases of child abuse and ensure proper response and intervention to the cases cited above (Sanders et al., 2014). This entails ensuring different professionals who work in areas inhabited by children like teachers, and healthcare providers, are capable of identifying, and reporting child abuse cases to the appropriate department or organizations; and providing more support to child protective services.

Justification of the Proposed Approach

The authors strengthen the proposed approach by discussing how far similar strategies were effective in other fields. For instance, there is an evidence based program known as the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program which has been used in the Australian cultures and has proven to increase effective management in child maltreatment and also enhance child well- being (Garstang et al., 2023). The goal of this program is to empower the parents with proper guidelines to follow when dealing with defiant or rebellious children instead of physically harming them.

In addition, a research carried out in the United States of America revealed that through enhanced community based programs such as educational and support systems and better reporting methods for cases of abuse of children resulted to the reduction of cases of child abuse (Kuran et al., 2023). The studies carried out imply that it is possible to overcome the physical child abuse through the application of a complex strategy that is quite similar to the one described.

Personal Beliefs and Assumptions

Some of the core thinking points identified include personal experiences, professional practice, and formal education in matters related to child protection. Safe and nurturing should be the condition to which children be protected and shielded against all forms of harm or abuse. This belief emanates from the get principles of child rights and nurturance’s knowledge that childhood experience has directing influence on the future of an individual. By the same token, I adjust the expectations I have for solving physical child abuse by embracing different factors that lead to abuse (Laajasalo et al., 2023). This assumption falls under the assumption that most child abuse cases are socially related factors that include poverty, substance abuse, and mental health issues. As such the intervention strategies that I suppose have to counter these issues.

Reflection on Influences

I have reached the following beliefs and assumptions based on these factors: First, it can be obvious that my academic experience in the sphere of social work equipped me with the understanding of the child protection system, its diversity and necessity to address child protection issues using many sided approaches. Secondly, before the current study and whilst being employed in professional setting involving at-risk children and families, the importance of working in holistically was also identified (Maity et al., 2023). Taking this final objective to reflect on what has been learned and developed throughout the course while studying at the University, it is also important to stay current in the research and evidence of child protective services in order to support and enhance my knowledge regarding practising all- encompassing child protection.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the physical child abuse is a rampant social problem in Australia, which requires priority attention and collective approach. Measures like education in the communities, identifying vulnerable families and providing them with necessary assistance, and enhancement of the system of reporting incidents and necessary interventions are also proposed taking into account successful practices in other countries. Based on ideas that grow out of individual, organizational, and academic socialization, the following beliefs and assumptions underpinned the formulation of this approach. Being concerned with physical child abuse it is essential to point out that only diagnosing the problem and punishing the offenders will not solve it, but enhancing protective factors and reducing risk factors responsible for child abuse will lead to a safer future for children.

References:

Garstang, J., Dickens, J., Menka, M., & Taylor, J. (2023). Improving professional practice in the investigation and management of intrafamilial child sexual abuse: Qualitative analysis of serious child protection reviews. Child Abuse & Neglect, 137, 106053. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213423000340

Kuran, C. H. A., Morsut, C., Kruke, B. I., Krüger, M., Segnestam, L., Orru, K., Nævestad, T. O., Airola, M., Keränen, J., Gabel, F., Hansson, S., & Torpan, S. (2020). Vulnerability and vulnerable groups from an intersectionality perspective. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 50, 101826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101826

Laajasalo, T., Cowley, L. E., Otterman, G., Lamela, D., Rodrigues, L. B., Jud, A., ... & Nurmatov, U. (2023). Current issues and challenges in the definition and Operationalization of child Maltreatment: A Scoping review. Child Abuse & Neglect, 140, 106187. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213423001680

Maity, S., & Chakraborty, P. R. (2023). Implications of the POCSO Act and determinants of child sexual abuse in India: insights at the state level. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1), 1-13. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-022-01469-x

McClelland, A. & Smyth, P. (2014). Social Policy in Australia: Understanding for Action.
McClelland, A., Smyth, P., & Marston, G. (2020). Social policy in Australia 4e eBook : Understanding for action. Oxford University Press Australia & New Zealand.

Sanders, M. R., & Kirby, J. N. (2014). Consumer engagement and the development, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence-based parenting programs. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 12(1), 39-50. doi:10.1080/15402002.2013.764822