The Juvenile Court: A Guide for Effective Social Work Practice

Abstract

Few would argue that social workers frequently appear ill at ease when attending the juvenile court in support of clients who are appearing because of criminal matters. One reason for this is undoubtedly the relative infrequency with which they attend the court, so that they are often unfamiliar with the procedures and the court officials. It is true that many receive training in speaking in the juvenile court and, indeed, have experience of giving evidence in child care matters. It might be assumed that this training and experience would help equip social workers for the seemingly easier task of supporting Social Inquiry Report recommendations but this does not appear to be the case. In fact the reasons for this are not hard to find.