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Author Spotlight: Exploring Neural Correlates of Defensive Behaviors in Fear Learning and Extinction
Published on: December 15, 2023
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Defensive Practice as 'Fear-Based' Practice: Social Work's Open Secret?
Andrew Whittaker1, Tirion Havard1
1London South Bank University, London, UK.
British Journal of Social Work
|August 26, 2016
Summary
Social work students perceive defensive practice as less serious when it involves inaction (sins of omission) rather than action (sins of commission). This study reveals defensive practice is often a subtler, less conscious process than previously understood.
Area of Science:
- Social Work
- Child Protection Studies
- Organizational Psychology
Background:
- Organizational cultures in child protection can foster defensive practice.
- Existing literature often overlooks the daily realities of defensive practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate final-year social work students' perceptions of defensive practice.
- To explore attitudes towards defensive practice in everyday social work scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative and quantitative data collected from 90 final-year social work students.
- Three focus groups utilized interactive software for data gathering.
- Analysis of perceptions regarding general defensive practice and specific case vignettes.
Main Results:
- Students differentiated between active (commission) and passive (omission) defensive behaviors.
- Passive behaviors (omission) were perceived as less serious due to intangibility and attribution to positive motives.
- Findings suggest defensive practice is often a less conscious, subtler process than deliberate action.
Conclusions:
- Student perceptions highlight a nuanced understanding of defensive practice in social work.
- The distinction between commission and omission influences perceived severity.
- Further exploration is needed to understand competing explanations for defensive behaviors in practice.
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