Punishment Vs. Treatment Essay, Research Paper

The penalty or intervention of habit-forming pregnant adult females and the hazard of mental unwellness on their unborn kid are really controversial issues in societal work today ( Young, 1996, 33 ) . Should child-removal or clip in a correctional installation punish substance mistreating pregnant adult females, or should they be sentenced to a type of dependence intervention plan? Does maternal substance abuse autumn under the classs of kid maltreatment and disregard? These inquiries, along with other equivocal jobs will be discussed in great item throughout this study, such as how a societal worker trades with these instances.

Bing in a societal work field, one will recognize that non everything is a cut and paste from the enchiridion. There are state of affairss, more than frequently, where educated picks gained from developing are needed to be applied. That is a good account on why punishment vs. intervention of habit-forming pregnant adult females is so controversial.

Punishment could perchance hold male chauvinist or racialist motivations and so finally work more to demo inequalities between the categories, instead than protect the kids ( Young, 1996, 33 ) . Policymakers, jurisprudence enforcement functionaries, and the general populace all have punitory responses to the issues environing drug-exposed babies.

It is even shown through observation that a figure of Judgess have given heavier sentences to pregnant nuts vs. non-pregnant nuts for the same offense ( Young, 1996, 34 ) . Besides, court-ordered remotion of a babe at birth, without test or hearing, is really common now. This remotion is based on the land that the female parent or baby has a positive drug trial at the clip of birth. This process has increased dramatically in the past 10 old ages despite the terrible deficit of surrogate places in the United States ( Skoe, 1996, 274 ) . There are besides a figure of provinces that require societal workers and other health care professionals to describe substance-abusing pregnant adult females to province governments, instead than seeking a intervention for them. As a consequence of this pregnant adult females sometimes avoid contact with societal workers ( Young, 1996, 35 ) .

These illustrations of how penalty is granted are pathetic. Healthcare and societal service bureaus should be the 1s doing the determinations on such instances, non the tribunals ( Altman, 1998, 853 ) . It is true that anyone who uses drugs are responsible for that usage. But one time addiction takes over it puts a restriction on duty. The dependance becomes involved in the individual & # 8217 ; s manner of life until they are non responsible for their continuing usage. Experts agree that halting the

use of a dependent drug can non be done by a mere act of will. Addiction changes the will to make a drug into the demand to make a drug. It becomes a status & # 8211 ; and condemnable jurisprudence should penalize people for Acts of the Apostless, non conditions ( Young, 1996, 36 ) . By giving punitory physiological reactions to these adult females we are stating that they are responsible for their drug usage every bit good as their gestations, these are debatable premises for societal workers to keep ( Young, 1996, 37-39 ) .

From punitory policies came contention on the morality of it. With this, some province and local authoritiess promote intervention over penalty. For illustration, California has a jurisprudence that gives precedence to pregnant adult females in drug intervention plans. Besides, New York City has a plan that allows drug dependent female parents to take their newbor

ns place, every bit long as they seek intervention and agree to weekly visits from a societal worker ( Young, 1996, 35 ) . In the last five old ages at that place has been an addition in the figure of intervention plans available for pregnant adult females. This may sound like good intelligence, but it still poses a job. Who pays for and how long should these services be provided? Most insurance companies limit the figure of Sessionss a client can be reimbursed for and the figure of service suppliers available supplying a list

of certain professionals they are allowed to utilize. Besides, in most provinces Medicaid will merely pay for a part of the cost of drug intervention ( Skoe, 1996, 274-275 ) .

Because of these restrictions many bureaus chiefly see clients merely in groups and monitor the services received to do certain they are needed. Group leaders will utilize attacks that focus on & # 8220 ; short-run & # 8221 ; therapy in order to assist clients get by more rapidly. Solution-focused therapy is a current tendency used today. This attack focuses on the strengths of the clients. It helps them to come up with solutions to decide their jobs. Questions such as & # 8220 ; what worked before & # 8221 ; are used to arouse the client & # 8217 ; s ain thoughts ( Altman, 1998, 851 ) .

Authorization is besides another tendency used by societal workers today. Empowerment is & # 8220 ; the procedure of increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so persons can take action to better their life state of affairs & # 8221 ; ( Young, 1996, 49 ) . Working with most of these addicted pregnant adult females, societal workers report them as holding a since of & # 8220 ; powerlessness. & # 8221 ; They face jobs from every way in the environment and that frequently puts a bound on their operation. Therefore, they feel that they can non make anything to alter their environment. By utilizing the method of empowerment societal workers help their clients see that they can make alteration, non by repairing their jobs but by giving them encouragement. Peoples who are empowered can and aren & # 8217 ; t afraid to do alterations in their lives ( Altman, 1998, 855 ) .

Geting the support for intervention plans in the yesteryear was about impossible. People didn & # 8217 ; t understand that passing money in one job country would salvage money in others. By supplying these services to substance mistreating pregnant adult females, it helps them to maintain a positive attitude on life and makes room for existent felons in correctional installations. Social workers are doing much advancement in promoting intervention over penalty, but they still have a long manner to travel. There is still a strong demand for more intervention plans even though in the past 10 old ages they have practically been defined. Ten old ages from now, at this rate, there will be a more systematic manner of dividing the two ; until so any aid is good aid.

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