Social Work Practice in Conflict Contexts: Roles, Ethics and Challenges
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Abstract
This study aims to examine the professional roles, ethics, and challenges of social workers in conflict-affected areas. The research employed a qualitative documentary research methodology through a systematic literature review. Data collection involved searching databases in both English and Thai languages, covering the period from 2004 to 2024 (B.E. 2547-2567). The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, with categories derived from key issues identified in the dataset. The findings reveal that social workers play diverse roles across three levels: Individual level, community, and Societal and policy levels. Regarding ethics and challenges, the study found that social workers face complex ethical dilemmas, including maintaining neutrality, managing ethical conflicts, and allocating limited resources. Additional challenges include safety concerns, psychological impacts from shared traumatic experiences between service providers and users (shared traumatic reality), conflicts between personal and professional values, and cultural competency barriers. The research leads to recommendations for developing social workers' capacity and strengthening support systems for effective practice in conflict-affected areas, including training in trauma-informed care, mediation and negotiation skills, interdisciplinary teamwork, and developing practice standards aligned with Thailand's conflict contexts.
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