Working with Women Associated with Bikie Gangs: Practice Dilemmas

Abstract

Much has been written about bikie gangs, but there is little about the women and children who are part of gang life. The present paper describes domestic violence agency social workers’ ethical practice dilemmas when assisting women who have left bikie gangs to search for a new, safer lifestyle away from the gang culture of drug use and violence, in particular sexual violence. The paper concludes with a discussion of the ethical processes and issues in resolving such practice dilemmas.

Keywords:

• Bikie Women
• Sexual Violence
• Social Work Practice Dilemmas

Notes

1. All names are assumed to be fictitious because the researcher was not provided with any identifying information about the clients reported in these case studies.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lesley Cooper

Professor Lesley Cooper (BSW, PhD) is Head of the School of Social Administration and Social Work at Flinders University, Adelaide South Australia. She has worked across a wide range of human services, including community development, social planning, policy development and administration

Margaret Bowden

Margaret Bowden (BA, BA Lib St) administers the Australian Centre for Community Services Research in the School of Social Administration and Social Work at Flinders University, Adelaide South Australia. She has worked on many research projects and publications in the areas of social work, health and education