Social Justice In Social Work

Social justice is based on the concept that all citizens are entitled to equal human rights and services. In the social work profession, one has the ability to make a difference in a variety of social issues such as child welfare, poverty, and income inequality. In January 2017, I began my first internship at the United Neighborhood Center’s childcare facilities in Scranton, PA. This allowed me to directly help at-risk youth who were neglected and underprivileged by providing accessible social, educational, and recreational opportunities in a safe environment. Concerned from noticing the lack of self-care among the teenagers that I encountered, I decided to take action. I initiated a program that provided teens the opportunity to learn how to make a healthy and well-balanced meal with the help of a fellow co-worker. While running this program, I

Unfortunately, children are unable to fund governmental programs and often cannot arrange protests to advocate for better services without help. They have very little opportunities to speak out against unhealthy environments. Fortunately, social workers have the ability to ensure safe living conditions for children, adolescents, and supportive families. According to the US Administration on Children and Families (2015), an estimated 1,670 children died from violence and mistreatment at a rate of 2.25 per 100,000 children in the general population. Despite the alarmingly large numbers being reported there are significant amount of child maltreatment that has not been identified as well. It is imperative that social workers and other professionals identify ways to decrease the number of neglected children in the United States. Children have only a small amount of time to be young, it is necessary for social workers to help build a strong basis for a productive and fulfilling