[Can the action of the social worker lead to child abuse?]

The authors report a case where the interference of a health worker led to child abuse in a family for which he had charge. They examine the interactions existing between the concerned team and the high-risk family. They notice that violent situations are often maintained by the higher number of psychosocial interventions and by the intrusive and rigid attitudes of the health workers. A real change in the parental situation can only be obtained by a systematic approach to the families involved, centered not only on the interactions between the child and its parents but also on the interactions between the health system and the family.