Social workers and Their role in armed political and military conflicts: the unheard discussion

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Social workers and Their role in armed political and military conflicts: the unheard discussion

By Joseph Frankel

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‘War is not healthy for children and other living things’
(Schneider, 1967).

When considering war, generally the concern is with military involvement and not about the civilians who are often left most vulnerable to the effects of war. This paper will critically evaluate the role of social workers working in the context of military and political conflict and examine an organization working with the survivors of war.  Civilians in the context of war have many horrific experiences which can cause issues that are related to complex trauma.  Both the (AASW) Australian Association of Social workers and (IFSW) International Federation of Social workers point out that social work is about empowerment, liberation and enhancing people’s wellbeing.  Despite the work of international aid organizations, this topic is still largely unexplored by academia. This essay aims to further investigate this issue.

There are a variety of settings that social workers can practice in during military or political conflict. These include refugee camps, schools and hospitals.  It is important that social workers are involved in political and military conflicts as there are issues such as grief and loss and severe psychosocial trauma that can be detrimental to a person’s long term mental health and wellbeing (Joint Conference on Social Work and Social Development Action and Impact, 2012).  The main areas of social work practice in the context of military and political conflict appear to be classified into three main areas. These are primary health care, including physical and mental health; international humanitarian law responses and the front line delivery of aid in conflict zones.

The first role social worker play in primary health care is that of a ‘psychiatric social worker’. The role of these social workers is to specialize in mental health and generally try to support positive mental health outcomes for people affected by war. Another such role a social worker can take on in relation to hospitals is that of ‘medical social worker’. Their role here is primarily conducted in the context of hospitals and it is to support those who have been affected by war to achieve better outcomes. An example of this is in the case of a person sustaining an injury such a limb loss. In this instance it would be the role of a medical social worker to facilitate better health outcome for that person in relation to psychological trauma and readjustment issues (Daley, 1999). 

Another role of social workers in conflict is to know about various international conventions to bind conflict to a basic standard of humanity. In the absence of these conventions, international disaster response law may offer basic protection to humanitarian relief in the context of military conflict (Hoffman, 2000).  According to Rogers (2008) social workers have certain rights, roles and responsibilities under IHL (International Humanitarian Law) but tend to be largely uninformed.  These are not explicitly stated in IHL documents however a search of documents such as the Geneva convention (1949) and its additional protocols will produce a picture of what a social worker’s role is in armed political & military conflict (Rodger, 2007).   This is because the role of social workers is about empowerment, liberation and enhancing people’s wellbeing (IFSW, 2013). This shows the importance of knowing various IHL such as Geneva Convention, and how having a working knowledge of these can provide a framework to advocate on behalf of victims of military and political conflict.  Documents like the Geneva Convention are useful to social work because they provides a basis of what is acceptable treatment within conflicts however application is sometimes tenuous due to the nature of political and military conflicts (Rodgers, 2007). The reason that social workers are concerned with IHL is that part of our roles is to work with highly vulnerable people and advocating for their dignity and basic human needs (Rodgers, 2007; AASW, 2010; IFSW, 2012).  These values are reflected in IHL such as the Geneva Convention (1949). This shows the connection between what is stated in IHL and what is practiced by social workers as professionals who have a role in engaging with people who are having difficulties as a result of armed political and military conflict (Rogers, 2007).   In addition IHL also has connections to the delivery of aid to places suffering because of armed political and military conflict. IHL documents like the Geneva Convention (1949) and other IHL documents highlight the needs of people living within context of armed political and military conflicts  (Rogers, 2007).

The third role that social workers can play in the context of military and political conflict is the delivery of basic essentials to people caught in the cross fire. This aspect of social work is important because it can deliver people their basic needs for survival (Healy & Link, 2012).   As already discussed this can be influenced by principles set out in various IHL documents (Rogers, 2007).  The definition of what a social worker does is outlined by (AASW, 2010; IFSW, 2013). This is in line with the role that aid workers perform when delivering aid but rather than treating the trauma of victims of war and looking at IHL, delivering aid is about delivering basic essentials that people need for survival.  Whilst it is linked and influenced by basic health care and international policy it differs because it is about meeting immediate needs (Healy & Link, 2012).   The delivery of aid is usually carried out by charities and non-for profit agencies such as the Red Cross, which have had a long history of delivering aid in different disaster settings to different countries (Australian Red Cross, 2013).  Even though IHL is supposed to protect the rights of aid workers there have been numerous attacks on aid workers, healthcare workers and healthcare facilities in places that are currently in some kind of armed military or political conflict including Libya, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Gaza and Democratic Republic of the Congo  (International Red Cross, 2011).  Therefore the delivering of aid to countries suffering armed political or military conflict can be a dangerous profession (International Red Cross, 2011). Even though delivering aid to countries suffering the impacts of war is a challenging and some times difficult task this does not take away from its importance. Delivering basic needs such as food, clean drinking water can be an effective way of alleviating some stress in the lives of the people suffering however the extreme trauma these people have suffered simply because they live in this context of war should not be downplayed (Lischer, 2006).   The danger with humanitarian aid and humanitarian aid organizations is that things such as food and water need to be directed and prioritized to those who are most in need. The difficulty when it comes to countries that are in political/military conflict is identifying those who are most in need of assistance (Lischer, 2006).   

The roles that social workers play in the context of political and military conflict is important however it is also important when working as a social worker in these contexts to not forget about your cultural lens (Assan, 2011). When working within this area it is important to remember that the context may not necessarily be from a western cultural paradigm, therefore it is important to ensure that the practices undertaken are culturally safe, sensitive and appropriate as this can dictate the effectiveness of the work (Hassan, 2011).  He states that it is essential to observe and think about all culture not just ethnic culture because this could have impact on how we engage with other stakeholders such as military personnel but also most importantly it could also hinder engagement with clients in this context (Hassan, 2011).    

One of the reasons that appropriate communication skills are necessary for social workers in the context of war is that war can often be a direct cause of complex trauma issues for civilians living or having lived in these sorts of conditions. As already mentioned a social worker in this context has a role to play with helping people with there complex trauma needs (Daley, 1999).  One aspect of complex trauma related issues such as PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) is it can hinder the way people communicate. It is important that we get to know individual situations rather than assuming we know what’s going on for them as this can potentially disempower clients (Denvno, 2010). When working with clients from these backgrounds it is essential to take on anti oppressive, ethno-sensitive and empowerment frameworks to assist the clients wellbeing (Deveno, 2010).  A skill that social workers should utilize within a macro level context is the need to advocate and engage in public debate around the issues that social workers face when working in this context. It seems that social workers in the context of war seem to be absent or hidden as it is not widely debated in the public domain or in the social work literature (Deveno, 2010).

This paper thus far has discussed roles of social workers, the context they work in, the challenges faced by social workers and the principles that they can base there practice on. This next section will discuss the role of social workers in relation to a specific case study in the Gaza Community Mental Health Program and discuss its relevance to social work. 

In December 1987 a mass movement of civil disobedience occurred in Gaza due to ongoing deaths of citizens by traffic accidents involving Israeli armed forces which caused intense conflict (Jong, 2002). Civilians were subjected to beatings, long exposure to heat/cold, forced to watch or subjected torture and were subjected to food deprivation (Jong 2002).  This resulted in many issues relating to the horrific treatment of these people refer to (appendix 1). As a result  this prompted a psychiatrist to set up a non-for profit non- governmental mental health service to help those effected by war trauma. It has three main objectives

·      Enabling Gazans to cope with their traumatic experiences through public awareness,  social support and individual treatment

·      Strengthen professional expertise in areas of mental health and human rights that are relevant to people of Gaza.  This is done through professional training in the areas of health, education and social services

·       Preventing further abuse from occurring  by working towards an atmosphere of respect and openness

(Jong, 2002).

The goals seem to have a very similar focus to what the IFSW outlines social workers to be orientated to do (IFSW, 2013).  The main areas the IFSW seem to be in common with the Gaza community mental health program (GCMHP) is that they both talk about improving the mental health and human rights for vulnerable people.  The GCMHP discusses the promotion of democratic change in the region based on respect for human rights and human dignity that take into account community needs and the local culture (Jong, 2002).  The IFSW’s specific policy on international peace and conflict values around democratic change are very much situated in the same arena. It asserts commitment to peace and non-violence and believes that social justice can only be achieved through non-violent methods (IFSW, 2012).  Trauma and counseling is one of the areas that social workers work within the GCMHP . This comprises of teams specializing in trauma work. The main aim of this project is to connect with people who are victims of Israeli aggression.  The main goal of this program is to strengthen effected persons’ mental health and to protect effected persons from further psychological harm (Arabpsynet Journal, 2004). The unique aspect of this program is it looks at psychological trauma and the causes through a social lens and also tries to combine a medical and social view of mental health recovery, by connecting sufferers with their culture and community (Arabpsynet Journal, 2004).

This case study also considers another aspect relevant to social work practice in an context of international armed conflict and that is international human rights laws (Jong, 2002) Israel is a signatory to the United Nations convention against torture and also the Israeli high court prohibits the maltreatment of prisoners and the use of torture to extract confessions from prisoners (Jong, 2002; UN Convention against Torture, 1997). Despite these instruments in place the official line of the Israeli government is that they use moderate physical pressure on prisoners if they believe they have information on a terrorist attack (Jong, 2002).  There have been long standing criticisms of the treatment of Palestinians who are seen to be ‘secuirty suspects’ this is despite the fact that people who are subject to this kind of torture are rarely ever charged with anything (Imseis, 2001). These criticisms call into question the seriousness of Israel’s commitment to international human rights laws that they ratified (Imeis, 2001).   International human rights laws and local common law which outlaws the practice of torture and provides a legal framework for social workers to advocate of behalf of their clients (Grosso, 2001).   These frameworks can help social workers to advocate on behalf of clients from a macro level context as documents such as the Geneva convention, UN convention against torture and the decision by the Israeli high court make it clear what obligations Israel has when integrating people who are believed to be connected with terrorism (Grosso, 2001).

 

 

 

Even though GCMHP is run mainly my internal staff it is financially supported by different aid charities. One of those charities is Grass Roots International which is a US charity that takes donations and sends them to support various international causes one being GCMHP (Grass Roots International, 2012).  It is important that financial aid is delivered to where it is needed (Grass roots International, 2012).  The funding need increased significantly in late 2008 because on December 30 2008 an Israeli F16 launched an airstrike on a Palestinian police station 70m away from the GCMHP offices. As a result there was massive damage done to the GCMHP office causing this important services to cease its operations (Gaza Community Mental Health Programe, 2008).  As a result of the bombings of 2008 an initiative was launched by Grassroots International and its international partners which was a community garden. It was more of a symbolic gesture that Gazans are rebuilding their lives and are still suffering as result of Israeli occupation but the reality is that getting international aid into Gaza is still highly controlled and often restricted by Israeli blockades (Grass Roots International, 2012).  In this context when social workers practice in the context of international aid delivery, they have to weigh up idealism with what is realistic. In this situation it may not be possible to get international aid in as the political & religious tensions around Gaza are an ongoing problem (Austcare World Humanitarian Aid, 2008).  In this situation social workers may take on a role advocating political change from a world view context to call on Israel to abide by the international law it has ratified and also abide by civil law that has been created by its own legal system (Ki-moon, 2012).

This paper has analysed social worker practice in military and political conflicts and identified three critical roles. These were as workers in primary health care, including physical and mental health; international humanitarian law responses and the front line delivery of aid in conflict zones. These are in accordance with the themes identified at the 2012 Joint World Conference on Social Work and Development. They relate also to the principles of the (AASW) Australian Association of Social workers and (IFSW) International Federation of Social workers which are empowerment, liberation and enhancing people’s wellbeing. Although the three role were discussed as discrete it was recognized that they are not always distinct but often interface. The paper also analysed a specific case study which highlighted the importance of these three roles within social work practice. Finally this essay highlighted gaps in the knowledge base and demonstrated the future need of social workers to engage in critical debate regarding their roles in political and military conflicts. 

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References

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Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. (1984), from             http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?mtdsg_no=IV-9&chapter=4&lang=en

Daley, J. G. (1999). Social work practice in the military: Haworth Press, Incorporated.

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Denov, M. (2010). Coping with the trauma of war: Former child soldiers in post-conflict Sierra Leone. International Social Work, 53(791). Retrieved from  doi:10.1177/0020872809358400

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            Retrieved from http://www.arabpsynet.com/Associations/PAj1.GCMHP.ass.pdf

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Hassan, A. (2011). Cultural Considerations in Military Social Work Podcast from             http://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2011/07/cultural-considerations-in-military.html

Health Care In Danger Making The Case: Violence against healthcare must end. (2011)             International Committee of the Red Cross.

Hoffman, M. (2000). Towards an international disaster response law. World Disasters Report. Geneva: International Federation of Red Cross/Red crescent societies. .

Imseis, A. (2001). Moderate Torture on Trial: Critical Reflections on the Israeli Supreme Court Judgement concerning the Legality of General Security Service Interrogation Methods. Berkeley Journal of International Law, 19(328). Retrieved from http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/berkjintlw19&div=13&g_sent=1&collection=journals

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Jong, J. d. (2002 ). Trauma, War, and Violence: Public Mental Health in Socio-Cultural Context. New York, NY: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Ki-moon, B. (2012). Statement attributable to the Secretary-General on the violence in Gaza  and Israel, from http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=6433

Link, R. J., & Healy, L. M. (2012 ). Handbook of International Social Work: Human Rights, Development, and the Global Profession: Oxford University Press: New York.

Lischer, S. K. (2006). Dangerous Sanctuaries: Refugee Camps, Civil War, And the Dilemmas of Humanitarian Aid. New York: NY Cornell University Press.

Rogers, O. W. (2008). Social Work and The International Humanitarian Law, Rights, Roles,  and Responsibilitie. Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 5(2). Retrieved from             http://www.socialworker.com/jswve/content/view/90/65/

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Youth work in the context of public Space

Youth work in the context of public Space

By: Joe Frankel 

2013 

When working with young people a common context that youth workers will find

themselves in is working within public space. When working with young people within

public space there can be some unique issues  arising that a worker must be equipped to

deal with. These include issues of perceptions of young people by other groups; young

people’s own fears in public space; alcohol and drug issues, anti social behaviour and

preventing boredom in public space (Hatzopoululos & Clancey, 2007 ). Public space work

with young people is unique in that it can encompass other fields of practice and still have

           

people who work in public space should employ. These include concepts such as consultation

processes, correctly identifying problems, facilitating participation of stakeholders, inclusive

responses, skill development and pooling of resources.

Before there is a definition of where community space practice can be practiced there must be

a definition of public space. Simply put, public space is any place people can

meet and socialise. Places that could be considered public space include parks, malls,

shopping centres skate parks, bike paths, railway stations/bus stops and car parks

Hatzopoululos & Clancey, 2007 ).  White and Wyn (2011) go further not just

describing public space as areas where young people congregate without purpose rather

describing them as places where young people congregate to make visible their identity by

showing the world who they are. This shows that public space is more than just a place to

hang out it is a place where young people express themselves and they develop their identify

which is an important part of human development. This makes public space practice an

essential field of practice in youth work broadly (White & Wyn 2011).

Identifying public space is not simply a list of the above areas. There are many

grey areas that also define what a public space is (White & Wyn, 2011). As  Hatzopoululos

and Clancey (2007) correctly identify shopping centres are accessed and used

as public space by many young people  and are seen to be public places for the sole purpose

of consumption (Shields, 2003) but in fact shopping centres are not considered public

space by definition as they are mostly privately owned (Lowe & Lovejoy, 2000). 

 As such young people accessing the space need to have fit into the mould of

consumption within the shopping centre or risk being excluded (White & Wyn, 2011). 

Shopping centres can offer good space to socialise with peers however because of this clash

between occupying space for socialisation and consumerism young people can often be

excluded from shopping centres because of they are not contributing financially to the

shopping centre (Nilan, Juilan & Germov, 2007). 

Because of media & moral panic in the public domain concerning young people accessing public space, young people rarely get to tell their side of the story (White and Wyn, 2011).  A young male who frequents Westfield Parramatta a shopping centre in Greater Western Sydney (GWS) explains that people label his peers as criminals when in fact the issue is that people don’t understand they just want to a place to have fun (Ahmed cited in Butcher & Thomas, 2003).  This experience is also highlighted by Crane (2010) that young people who have had negative experiences within their community feel that they have been negatively stereotyped and have had negative experiences in the way that people treat them (Crane, 2010).  Although these negative experiences of young people within public space are commonplace, it is important not to stereotype young people as there is diversity within this demographic as with any age bracket. Due to this, the experiences that young people will have in public space will reflect this diversity (Crane, 2010).  It is said that public space can have a huge role in young people shaping their identify therefore it is important that young people can positively engage with public space. As a youth worker it is important to help positively foster young people’s engagement with different public spaces (White & Wyn 2011).   When young people are excluded from public space however, it as almost always ideologically driven. An example of this occurred in 1997 at the Myer Centre in Brisbane’s CBD. A 14 year old male with a mohawk hairstyle was ejected not for behavioural concerns but  due to the ideological constructions others place on him due to his appearance (White & Sutton, 1995;  Crane, Adkins  & Marsden, 2000).

It is important that young people are included in public space for many reasons. These include the need to use them as meeting points, socialising areas, to sustain friendship networks, as an alternative to paid entertainment and also to strengthen friendship networks and meet new friends (Hatzopoulos & Clancey, 2007). In the Myer Centre example, this young person was denied this opportunity. There is clearly a lack of programs, activities and services occurring within public space even though it provides an opportunity to reach young people often at times when they most need it, such as the weekends when traditionally youth work organizations are closed (Hatzopoulos & Clancey, 2007).  One of the most effective service delivery models in public space practice is outreach which can engage young people where they meet, outside of normal business hours. Therefore it is important that services participate on all levels of practice from micro, the direct work with young people; to the mezzo, consultation, focus groups and issue identification; to the macro level, including local governments, state governments and federal governments participating in the planning and the funding of public space work (Hatzopoulos & Clancey, 2007). 

Public space practice can occur in various non-government organisations (NGOs), local,

State and Federal government contexts however the way it is delivered can be different

depending on the context of the agencies. For example an NGO may have a more direct

approach to working in a public space context than a state government body which means

practitioners would need a flexible professional skill set to suit the context in which they are

working.  An example of a service delivery program in the context of public space is National

Youth Week which involves various Federal, State, local government bodies and non-

government agencies.Youth week in New South Wales is funded and sponsored by the

Department of Education and Communities and sponsored by Transport NSW, and the NSW

Health's Sexually Transmitted Infections Programs Unit and Beyond Blue and it is

recommended that local Councils jointly fund events see attachment 1. These events are

examples of soft entry points because they engage young people and youth services in a

less formal domain than would otherwise be available in normal youth services settings

(Youth week NSW, 2013). 

Another aspect of public space practice with young people is that it provides opportunities to

gauge broader community insights than those of just the young people accessing

public space areas. Over the past decades people who are working in public space contexts

have seen public space become more contested (Nilan, Julian & Germov, 2007).   Because

of this underlying contest, a good practice principle is engagement and strategic planning

with stakeholders which include young people (White & Wyn, 2011). Although this is a good

practice principle, engagement with all stakeholders can be difficult especially when they

have opposing values and cultural norms this can hinder engagement  (Hill, 1988 ). Another

principle that workers should engage with in this context is to define and reflect on the role

they have taken on this. Some of the points they could reflect on include forming an

understanding of the role, how they will undertake it, how they will continue to improve

processes within that role and how they measure achievements (Knott & Scragg, 2010).

As already discussed, the role of youth workers in the context of public space varies

greatly, therefore it is important to define roles when working in the context of public

space. There are however some principles that should be employed when working with young

people. These include such things as inclusive consultations which is done to gain insights

and understandings of what the issues in that particular area are. Also it allows the

stakeholders of a particular public space to have a voice when looking at what is happening in

this public space. Problem identification skills are important as considering data gathered in

consultations and analysing it to make meaningful contributions help calm any issues that are

going on at that particular time. The ability to facilitate participation is also a very important

skill as it helps engage stakeholders with the issues and makes sure that marginalising the

concerns of people within that public space does not occur. Inclusive responses are important

because many responses to issues within public space practice can unknowingly marginalise

people and whilst an immediate response may fix some of the problems it can unknowingly

have consequences on other stakeholders. The pooling of resources is effective because it can

help achieve results that would not have been possible if a response was developed in

isolation.  Skills development is important for all industries who work within the domain of

public space because there are inconsistencies in how different agencies and sectors work

within public space. Skills development can help provide consistency and makes sure that 

people working within public space can be consistent when responding to issues. Whilst these

principles are listed separately for clarity it is suggested that these principles should be

considered together in the development of any response relating to young people accessing

public space (Hatzopoululos & Clancey, 2007).

 

Attachment 2 describes key policy and legislation relevant to public space practice. These are relevant to all age groups however it would be essential for a youth worker to be aware of current legislation affecting public space practice because legal issues arise constantly within public space work. However it is not just legislative law that interfaces with public space practice. Local government policy also affects public space practice for example in the area of planning guidelines. Common law also interfaces with public space, with issues such as duty of care being relevant (White and Wyn, 2011).   This table outlines legislation and key policy and State based legislation that regulates public space including the Security industry Act 1997  (Nsw). This impacts on young people as the legislation gives security guards the power  to guard, watch, or protect property with reasonable force s2(8). However what this legislation lacks is any specificity to what reasonable force looks like.  Two other key legislations in NSW that impact on a youth workers practice and the experience young people have in public space are Law Enforcement (Powers And Responsibilities) Act 2002 (Nsw) and the Crimes Act 1990 (Nsw) these pieces of legislation both interface with young people’s experiences of policing in public space however both have two separate functions. The Crime Act 1990 (NSW) s8 outlines that any offence, conduct or language made in an open or public place makes a person liable to apprehension. So therefore this act outlines broadly what is not acceptable in a public place. The Law Enforcement (Powers And Responsibilities) Act 2002 (Nsw) on the other hand outlines what the police can do within public spaces. It states that they have the ability to move people on without justification s197 (1). It does outline some examples of why people could be moved on for such as obstructing traffic or drinking in a public space. This act also allows police officers to disperse groups of people s198a (1). This may be of particular relevance as it is well documented in the literature that when young people access public space it is generally about connecting with peers and social networks (Hatzopoulos & Clancey, 2007).  An example of common law that interfaces with public space practice with young people is duty of care however it may not interface as one may think it often is used as way of excluding young people from spaces such shopping centres. The argument is often made that it is about public liability or duty of care obligations to customers but is used to exclude particularly indigenous and homeless young people and rather than being in response to illegal activity it seems more often than not that is judged on what can be described as annoying behaviour (Crane, 2000).  Youth Action, the peakbody for youth organisations in New South Wales describes duty of care as a holistic approach where the worker considers the safety of the young person and others, maintains confidentially, considers the needs of the client and remembers that each situation is different and needs to be assessed accordingly (Youth Action Duty of care guidelines, 2013). Examined against what Crane (2000) is implying, it would seem that duty of care is being used as a way to exclude young people without question based on what could be considered offensive behaviour. 

One of the ethical issues about public space practice with young people is how to police public space. There is a tension between young people accessing public space and socialising and the way that it is viewed by the rest of society (Butcher & Thomas , 2003).  This intensifies the issue of how to fairly police public space. Police describe it as being under siege caught between the fears of the community and the needs of young people to have access to public space (Butcher & Thomas, 2003).  White (1990) explains that there is an underlying tension between young people and other generations that is fuelled by various media and political outbursts and there is a tension of what is acceptable and what is not in regards to public space. Another ethical issue arises because of the diversity of young people and their subcultural groups. The argument is that workers should either be agents for fostering individualism or acting as social control agents (White, 1990). Both of these clashing ideologies are problematic when it comes to public space practice. Firstly promoting individualism between different cultural subgroups can inadvertently create a division between different young people’s sub cultural groups that can inadvertently create spatial barriers, causing young people who are not in those particular subgroups to be excluded from different areas of public space (Butcher & Thomas, 2003). An example of this is comes from Sydney where two different sub cultural groups inadvertently defined areas that young people could hang out based on what kind of pants they were wearing. The wearers of Addidas tracksuit pants and Billabong board shorts would often clash over spatial areas which created some discomfort within the community (Butcher & Thomas, 2003). The competing paradigm of youth workers as social control agents is not superior in its premise that certain ideas should be fostered to mediate what is seen as various forms of youth rebellion (White, 1990). The social control paradigm is also not ideal as it can lead to disengagement as it shown that young people who are socially included are more likely to participate within their communities (France, 2001). When working with young people White (1990) explains that there are two paradigms when working in the context of public space but each is not independent and that both of these should be taken into account.

As previously mentioned the unique aspect of working within a public space context is that it can encompass a variety of other fields of practice in the youth work sector Hatzopoululos & Clancey, 2007 ).  One of the areas that intersects with public space practice is drug and alcohol work with young people. One of the main drug and alcohol programs in NSW is SOS (Street Outreach Service). The main goal of SOS is to reach young people outside the context of an office space and to connect to people who may be marginalised by society by a pre existing drug habit. It aims to empower young people with information and referral pathways to make positive decisions about unhealthy lifestyle habits (Drug Arm, 2011).  When conducting outreach work within this sector two important practice principles outlined by Drug Arm are‘client centred service delivery’ and ‘respecting clients’ (Drug Arm, 2011). These practice principles are in line with what Dovetail considers good practice for youth workers working in this sector however Dovetail go into more detail about the approaches they use such as harm reduction, supply reduction and demand reduction but essentially  they are backed up by the same principles outlined by drug arm (Dovetail, 2012; Drug Arm, 2011). 

 As a human service worker how I conceive my role is centred upon Crane’s (2003) diagram which is based around service users’ rights, however I currently use this model more broadly to reflect on my own practice. The diagram offers a starting point for the first skill that I think is very important in public space work with young people and that is reflection. Reflection is important to practice because it help you integrate your own moral compass, organisational policy, broader socio-political  issues to form some idea of how you are going to proceeded with your public space work (Fisher & Somerton, 2010).  I believe that contextualising the space you working in is essential because the nature of public space is a complex issue encompassing  who owns the space, who is allowed to accesses and are there ideologies used to exclude people. When I look at public space I like to think of it as the plain where many systems interact with one another, coexist and sometimes clash. For these reasons I think systems theory can be employed to give an understanding of how people can interact with other systems within their environment (Payne, 2005).  The other theory that I think is of particular relevance to public space practice is structural theory as this can give a worker and understanding of how different structures within society can use their power to marginalise people (Payne, 2005). This can be seen in the case of shopping centres using their powers to exclude people based on ideological assumptions (Crane, Adkins  & Marsden, 2000).  It is essential that people reflect on their moral compass in this field of practice as so often the morals of young people in public space are often questioned by media and political bodies (White and Wyn, 2011).  I believe that based on what I have read and work I have done within public space it is essential for young people to develop social skills, sources of entertainment and a sense of freedom that can help develop their identity (Usien & Clancey, 2007).  Some of the key values that youth workers in public space should take into account include partnerships between young people and others when accessing public space; the involvement of young people in or having input into the management of public space; the establishment of a safe open forum where young people and other stakeholders of public space can voice their concerns; participation in the public space and understanding that young people aren’t just in a transient stage of development  “... just at that age’ but instead that young people are unique within our society and their culture deserves to be fostered (Usien & Clancey, 2007).

This essay discussed the concept of public space providing definition of the concepts an

challenges faced by youth workers in this field. It has outlined the major service types

available and models of service delivery. A discussion was provided of good practice

principles including the importance of ; inclusivity, problem identification, participation

facilitation, pooling of resources and skills development and recognition given to the fact that

these principles should be applied in an holistic response. There were two ethical concerns

identified. Firstly notions of community safety in public space and secondly dilemma for

youth workers of choosing appropriate practice strategies in order to either foster

individuality or act as social control agent fitting young people into society. It was concluded

that workers should apply these principles and use them in a complementary manner

according to the situation rather than viewing them as competing paradigms. Analysis was

also provided showing that public space is a unique practice context as it an arena where

other complicating practice context such drug and alcohol work can occur.  Finally a

reflection was provided which outlined my philosophy underpinning my practice within the

context of public space.