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Issue no. 3/2014 of the Social Work Review, coordinated by Ph.D. Lecturer Simona Bodogai and Ph.D. Lecturer Claudia Oşvat (University of Oradea, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Romania), has the following focus: Social work of risk groups. Current trends and development opportunities.
Both central and local public authorities and civil society are permanently concerned with the protection of different risk groups (children, families in need, the elderly, persons with disabilities, minorities etc.); the national and international strategies attempt to respond to the new challenges. How these strategies are created and applied by the governmental and nongovernmental organizations, what difficulties or challenges they are facing, but also what positive aspects and opportunities are being used or missed are only some of the points of the discussions in this volume. Attentive analyses (qualitative or quantitative) of risk groups and social support services allow us to identify the opportunities of social work development and the creation of appropriate policies. The continuous adaptation of social insurance, of universal categorical transfers and of social work to current trends and the maximum use of the existing opportunities provide the chance for sustainable development.
The current issue of Social Work Review includes innovative articles, researches, comments of policies, practices and their implications for social workers.
The study conducted by Stephen Cutler and Lynne Hodgson addresses a less studied subject, namely answering to the question: is health affected by concerns about cognitive functioning and worries about developing dementia? Using regression analysis, cognitive and AD concerns measure was a significant predictor of the composite measure of health. Neither subsample nor a concerns/subsample interaction term reached significance. That concerns and worries about cognitive functioning, and AD appears to be a robust predictor that should alert providers of human health services in what regards this source of threats towards physical well-being. It is interesting how the authors interconnect the conducted study with other studies that have relevant results in related areas of interest. Statistics on Romania gathered in conjunction with the study conducted by the authors try to point to the inherent problems that require reflection and action through prevention policies.
Analyzing national and international research trends regarding the subjective and objective dimensions of residence for older people and their relationship with the phenomenon of aging, Cătălina-Ionela Rezeanu’s article outlines several recommendations regarding the development and expansion of Romanian research in this area. The presentation of relevant studies in the field is not a simple juxtaposition, but a critical analysis of them, underlining the limits, but also their usefulness for future studies. The author also draws attention to the very limited number of Romanian studies focused on elderly issues.
Aspects of demographic aging and the needs of elderly as beneficiaries of a certain type of residential care and support service are discussed in Roxana Mureşan (Bartos)’s article. The author emphasizes that the current period in Romania, as for the most European countries, are marked by a pronounced aging of population, which leads to the concern of authorities to focus on the real needs and also to identify optimal solutions for their coverage, especially when the target group is represented by elderly at risk.
Paolo Guidi conducted a comparative study on the assessment and intervention practices used in Sweden and Italy in abused child social work. It aims to highlight tendencies in social work practice, in particular when compulsory measures are at stake. The cross-country comparison reveals commonalities and differences in social work practice, protection tendencies in relation to two national child protection systems. Results show high commonalities between Italian and Swedish social workers’ assessments at the level of practice. Elements of difference influencing the assessments are found on a major level in the child protection legislative framework with reference to the reporting system and the authoritative mandate allowing social workers to act without parental consent.
The issue of people with disabilities is discussed in Adina Micula’s article. The author captures relevant aspects of social perception about the integration and acceptance of persons with disabilities in the society.
Flavia-Petronela Medruţ analyses the link between peers and the probability of using drugs. Also it measures the frequency of drug use among adolescents from Cluj-Napoca. The research conducted on a representative sample of 1,005 people confirms the results obtained in similar studies and proposes some measures of prevention and recovery.
The vulnerability of young people reported to the risks of smoking and alcohol and drug consumption, is analyzed by Lavinia Onica-Chipea, Sorana Săveanu and Raluca Buhaş. The authors highlight the fact that the risk of developing deviant behaviors, especially drug consumption and smoking, is associated with less favorable relationships between adolescents and parents, and it is important to focus the prevention measures more on families at risk of developing deviant conduct.
This subject is also covered in L’uba Pavelová’s article. The author points out that, without understanding the key risks and protective factors of the family, we cannot make use of the possibilities of working with addicted clients. Also, as an element of interest, the article presents the results of an evaluation project of the outcomes of the re-socialization process of beneficiaries from re-socialization centers in Slovak Republic.
Delia Bekesi, Lioara Coturbaş and Lavinia Onica-Chipea’s article addresses the problems faced by another risk category, namely the unemployed. The authors present the results of a study that highlights the causes of unemployment in the perception of those who experienced this phenomenon.
Another subject of interest is addressed in Ildiko-Emese Fabian’s article, which highlights the role of the probation counselor in working with clients who benefit from probation, specifically with people experiencing mental health problems.
Simona Cîmpean addresses the phenomenon of migration insisting on returning in the country and on the effects of the whole process: experience, improvement of job skills, economies, investments in the home country, "actors" of social change etc. The article also refers to the causes of emigration and returning "home" and the impact it has on the family.
Ana-Luana Stoicea-Deram’s article captures relevant aspects on social policy measures aimed at integrating emigrant Romanian Roma in France. The holistic approach emphasizes the social policy measures taken for this group and how they are implemented. Extra information is obtained from the comparative analysis between France and Romania, about some relevant aspects of life of Roma groups: children’s school integration, housing etc.
A special topic is addressed in Oana Lăcrămioara Bădărău and Cristina Teodorescu’s article. It's about the reasons underlying the decision of Romanian social workers to emigrate. The findings highlight that the main reasons for this phenomenon are: lack of job satisfaction in Romania due to low financial compensation and weaknesses of the Romanian system of social welfare.
In the review section, two volumes are analyzed: Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo, 2011, “Poor Economics. A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty”, Public Affairs, Massachusetts and Kligman, Gail, 2000, “The Politics of Duplicity. Controlling Reproduction in Ceausescu`s Romania”, Humanitas publishing house, Bucharest.
In conclusion, the present issue of the Social Work Review includes a series of articles focusing on different target groups of social work: the elderly, children, people with disabilities, drug users, unemployed, offenders, emigrants. There are very interesting elements captured in the studies conducted by our colleagues and we are convinced that these will be supporting points in studying the addressed subjects or in conducting further studies.
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