Our Role in the Big Picture: Empowering the Social Worker

Our Role in the Big Picture: Empowering the Social Worker

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to consider the aspects of policy advocacy as a way to empowering oneself being a social worker. The paper discusses one major social issue and its significance and pertinent population characteristics. The paper then provides a discussion about the related social work ethics. It then entails an example of an organization in the field of social issue identified and discusses its work and different aspects. In the end, the paper comments on the manner in which a social worker can play the role of an advocate with reference to the identified organization.

Population and Issue

Domestic violence can be broadly defined as a pattern of violent behavior of one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, friends or cohabitation. Domestic violence is generally not obvious to the society (Milner & Myers, 2007). No doubt, many of the forms of violence are illegal and constitute the representation of a criminal offense for the violence based on physical and sexual basis. This type of violence can happen to any man of woman constantly or periodically (Featherstone et al., 2011). However, mostly women are affected by domestic violence. In fact, men are the ones who mostly commit violence (Hague et al., 2003).

It is an evolutionary process in which a partner engages, as part of a privileged relationship, domination expressed through physical aggression, psychological, sexual, economic or spiritual. Domestic violence has serious consequences for victims and for their children (Kurst-Swanger & Petcosky, 2003). It is well documented that the presence of violence against women in a household or society corresponds with an increased likelihood that children are also victims of violence, either directly or indirectly, through witnessing violence against women.

According to a research, domestic violence is common in women who are between the ages of 16 to 24, and as for the trend of domestic violence with respect to race and ethnicity, the highest rate of domestic violence is found between black men and women. According to a research, the percentage of domestic violence in black women is 35 percent higher than the rate found in white women, and 22% higher than any other race. Similarly, black males suffer from domestic violence 62 percent higher than the white men and 22 percent higher than any other race. Moreover, the black and Hispanic women have been found to report the higher rates of domestic violence to the local police (65 to 67 percent; whereas, the percentage of reporting in white women is only 50 percent (Rennison and Welchans, 2000).

Social Work Ethics

There are different code of ethics which describes the ethical values, norms and principles that are expected to be displayed and followed by the social worker in his or her social work. A number of sections present in the social workers' code of ethics pertain to the empowerment of the social worker, supporting social justice and being involved ...