Dilemmas of Care: Social Work and Historic Abuse

Abstract

The historic abuse of children in care raises many issues and dilemmas for social work and social care professionals. The experiences of the now-adult victims have highlighted the ways in which the state and care organizations failed in their duty of care. Individual carers inflicted physical, sexual and emotional abuse on children, and abusive regimes and systems left long-term scars. Social work and social care professionals now have to respond to the needs of victims/survivors.