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Social work has over time influenced various spheres of society, the understanding of social realities, problems, practices and policies. In the last three decades, various social, economic, political, cultural, environmental, technological, educational, health or demographic factors have allowed the evolution of ways of action and social intervention and contribute even today to the transformation of the role and practices of social workers. Social work is an evolving profession. New trends are constantly emerging in relation to the dynamics of individual, family, group, community and societal needs, and social workers are forced to respond with dexterity, in a creative manner to these needs and realities, in order to contribute to social welfare.
Social work practice varies as much as the contexts in which it operates and is based on transdisciplinary knowledge that evolves as new findings in research, intervention, technology or the demands of social service recipients emerge. Multiple prevention and intervention mechanisms are modified periodically, involving various institutional actors and aim to improve the social work system. This issue of the Social Work Review is an indicator of the vitality of adapting social work to changes in society, inviting readers to reflect on the social, political, educational and ethical contexts in which the implications of current and future social work practice are highlighted, through 18 articles signed by 38 Romanian and foreign authors, as well as the presentation of a recent editorial.
Based on a systematic literature review, Mihaela Tomiţă, Diana Biriş and Claudia Feher carry out an analysis of the ethical implications associated with the use of technology in the practice of social work, highlighting three major themes: client confidentiality, professional boundaries and fair access to technology.
An exploration of the views on the potential to eradicate poverty and inequality through the large-scale implementation of universal basic income is presented by Ionuţ Cioarţă from the University of Glasgow.
Remus Runcan, Marius Marici and Dana Rad present an analysis of the specialized literature regarding the risks associated with NEETS young people and various strategies aimed at contributing to the social inclusion of these young people.
Based on a mixed research methodology, the article signed by Sergiu Raiu, Anca Bejenaru and Mihai Iovu describes the phenomenon of interrupted adoptions and their evolution over the last six years in Romania, as well as a profile of children at risk of registering an interruption in adoption from the perspective of specialists working in the field of adoptions, and in the last part presents the proposals for adopters in order to avoid a failed adoption.
A qualitativestudydeveloped by Karina-Florina Petrovici and Luiza Vlaicu highlights the difficulties encountered by social workers in their professional experience regarding the interaction with elderly people in residential centers for seniors, as well as the strategies applied by social workers to facilitate communication with elderly people.
Diana Laura Biriş and Claudia Feher highlight the role of individual, family and contextual factors in shaping the resilience of minors and young delinquents who serve an educational measure, as well as the role of social workers in empowering the resilience of these minors, opening new perspectives for the development of programs aimed at increasing the resilience of minor delinquents.
A literature-based description of the phenomenon of sexting among young people is carried out by Patricia Runcan, who emphasizes both the consequences of the phenomenon among young people and possible interventions by social workers working in schools.
The article by the authors Marina Alexandra Tudoran and Alexandru Neagoe presents the results of a quantitative study that examines the relationship between the constructs related to family structure, empathy and social justice, as well as determining the ways in which the level of cognitive and affective empathy of social work students can predict social justice attitudes.
An international team of researchers from European countries propose a conceptual and methodological framework for the development of a digital literacy index for social work students, developed within a European project.
The results of a qualitative study by Georgiana-Cristina Rentea during the COVID-19 pandemic, among students majoring in social work and in their last year of studies, investigated their perceptions regarding the experiences of internships. The responses of the university to the organization of internships during the pandemic, the facilitating and inhibiting factors regarding the learning process during the internships, the relationship of students with the supervisors from the social services were described, based on the collected data, highlighting that the experience of carrying out practical internships on site is more advantageous compared to internships conducted in online format.
Based on the barriers and opportunities identified by students with disabilities during thetransitiontoonline remoteand back toonsitehighereducationduringthe COVID-19 pandemic, a team of five researchers presents the results of an action research that used visual participatory and in-depth interviews methods, outlining policy proposals for the development of an inclusive post-pandemic hybriduniversity.
Leyla Safta-Zecheria, Gabriela Tănăsan and Gabor Petri present the results of a qualitative study that addresses the theme of the symbolic inclusion of the movement of people with disabilities in the policy-making process in Romania, highlighting how representatives of self-advocacy organizations and some providers of social services perceive the processes through which they participated in policy formulation.
A useful article for practitioners in the field of social work who aim to contribute to the employment of people with disabilities, developed by Gusan (Crăciun) Adela, describes the opportunities for the employer who hires people with disabilities and the existing challenges in the field of employment of people with disabilities, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it presents successful strategies that have helped both employers and employees with disabilities to achieve success in their activities.
Using a non-experimental comparative research design, Denisa Rîjniţă and Anca Luştrea present the results of a study that investigated how various factors related to parental migration influence the level of self-esteem and anxiety of teenagers enrolled in high schools in Romania. The article proposes the implementation of personalized counseling and support programs in schools and social work institutions to help prevent and mitigate the negative effects of parental migration, aimed at students, parents, caregivers, and teachers.
The article signed by Otilia Ioana Tudorel and Elena Bianca Creţu, which emphasizes the potential of knowing results in order to develop and implement psychosocial interventions for prevention and early intervention, contributes to understanding the relationships between aggression, self-esteem and adverse childhood experiences.
The article proposed by Iuliana Costea and Maria Dragalina describes the results of a study investigating the relationship between well-being and pet ownership, comparing in particular dog owners and cat owners, highlighting that the presence of a pet helps a person to be more resistant to stress through an intensified state of well-being, but it does not condition the perception of loneliness or the register of affects. These results can be integrated into the planning and delivery of social services to improve the quality of life andwell-being of beneficiaries.
Using the observation method, Georgiana Trifan, Cosmin Goian and Luiza Vlaicu present the results of a research carried out in the context of thewar in Ukraine, which sought tohighlight the role of non-verbal communication in theinteractionbetween social workersandrefugeesfromUkraine, considering the language barrier sencountered in the process of social intervention.
Trancă Loredana Marcela and Vaidianu Nicoleta bring to attention the perspectives of social workers working in case management services in the child protection system regarding the duties and skills of social workers in their professional activity, the work tools they use, the challenges and difficulties they face with beneficiaries, as well as some recommendations for increasing the efficiency of professional activities.
A review of the volume signed by Doru Buzducea, Social Work and the Challenges of the New Millenium (Asistenţa socială şi provocările noului mileniu) published by the Tritonic publishing house, draws attention to the valuable perspectives on the history of social work in an international context, on the results of research conducted among vulnerable groups and institutional approaches regarding thenotion of risk.
We hope that these papers generate learning, research and professional development opportunities for both practitioners, researchers, students and educators in social work or related fields and inspire the shaping of future practice.
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