SOWK 4700 Section 400 - Child Welfare Practice and Services (Summer 2025 8W1)

Discussion Topic: Week 2: Discussion 3Week 2: Discussion 3

Grab a piece of paper before you start this exercise. For this assignment, you will need to set a timer for one minute. You can use your watch, phone, or anything with a timer feature, or you can use the timer in the optional video below (note: it has sound but no captions). Once you have your paper and are ready start the timer and write down your first response to the following in about one word, just the first thing that comes to your mind:

1. CPS system
2. Sexual abuse perpetrator
3. Sexual abuse victim (adult)
4. Sexual abuse victim (child)
5. Physical abuse perpetrator
6. Physical abuse victim (adult)
7. Physical abuse victim (child)
8. Meth user
9. Prostitute
10. Law enforcement

Expectations

Please post your original response and comment on the posts of two classmates by Sunday no later than 11:59 P.M.

Now look at your answers. How to you feel about what your first thoughts were? Did any of your responses surprise you? Share in the discussion what some of your responses were and anything you learned after looking at your own responses.

Reply from Daisha Stewart

Reply from Crystal Gunter

Reply from Gerson Nestares

Week 2: Discussion 4

Discussion:

Lets think of a family as a clay pot. Clay pots can look different with designs, patterns and colors. Some pots have water holes at the bottom, others are glazed, there is a variety out there. Now pretend you are holding a clay pot in front of you, this now represents your family. Now you will place your clay pot in a big brown paper grocery bag (we are imagining of course, you don't have to buy a pot) Now say each of the following aloud one at a time and then hit your pot inside your bag with your hand (with a glove on, still need to practice safety even when imagining)

• Death
• Divorce
• Health Problems
• CPS involvement
• Addictions
• Financial Problems
• Additions
• Infidelity
• Unwanted Pregnancy
• Conflict
• Abuse
• Mental Illness

Now we open our bag and look at the pieces. The broken pieces symbolize the impact these events can have on families. Some life events impact them in smaller ways and others have a much larger impact. It does not matter the family type, all families suffer from them. Sometimes, only a few big problems can break a family apart; other times, many small problems chip away at a family. Some of our pots probably broke at different points after different events. It is impossible to predict which negative impact caused the final blow to our clay pot, just like one cannot predict when it might happen to families. BUT a family can be repaired.

Discuss why some families need more help than others to rebuild their strength. Share how families respond and recover from negative life events is showing their resiliency keeping in mind what you have learned family systems.

Expectations

Please post your original response and comment on the posts of two classmates by Sunday no later than 11:59 P.M.

Reply

Mark post as read

SP

Shelly Portillo

Jun 15 9:55pmManage Discussion by Shelly Portillo

Reply from Shelly Portillo

I believe numerous factors contribute to which families need more help to be rebuilt, such as communication, cultural values, and personal beliefs. Family sizes can range from two to over a dozen family members. That can mean that there is a lot of effective communication but also miscommunication. When trying to rebuild back the strength or come to a mutual agreement it can be difficult because of various opinions. The other major factor would be personal beliefs. One example could be that some individuals in my family do not believe or talk about the things listed above. Others believe that it's okay to be able to talk about everything with each other. The resilience that families have to rebuild themselves overcomes the who's right or whose wrong attitudes. They put everything aside knowing that the end goal is strength.

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Vivian Sanchez

Jun 15 9:53pmManage Discussion by Vivian Sanchez

Reply from Vivian Sanchez

Some families handle difficult situations more differently than others. Every family is going to handle negative situations differently, depending on what they're used to. All families have different cultures, religions, political beliefs, or just the way they handle situations in general. It also depends on how much the situation or event affects the family. Some families might have a harder time recovering from negative situations because they don't have the resources they need or they just suffer in silence. It is always okay to talk to someone about what you are going through, they might be able to help, maybe they've been through that situation before and can give you some advice. It is important to stay calm during certain situations, because staying calm during difficult situations can help a lot. It is also important to have as much support as you need to get through tough situations. Families can be broken, but it is always important to come back to each other and talk things out because ya'll are always going to be family no matter what. With the right support, such as therapy or counseling, families can often find their way back to each other.

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Daisha Stewart

Jun 15 9:50pmManage Discussion by Daisha Stewart

Reply from Daisha Stewart

The clay pot serves as a family symbol which demonstrates that families possess both powerful and delicate characteristics. Every family exists as one unit because they present different forms and dimensions and unique characteristics. Family structures experience damage from life challenges such as death and divorce and addiction and abuse which create cracks or breaks in their structure.Family damage can range from minor cracks to severe breaks in their structure. The extent of family impact depends on multiple things, which include the number of problems they encounter and their severity level and the existing strength of family bonds. Families with strong communication and support systems along with available resources manage their problems better and recover at a faster pace. Families who experience numerous persistent issues together with limited support networks tend to struggle with their recovery process.Family systems theory demonstrates that every element within a family maintains a connected relationship. A single part of the family system which becomes damaged will create effects throughout the entire family structure. The healing process requires both the repair of damaged elements and the development of new healthier methods of growth. Families demonstrate resilience through their practice of seeking assistance from others while discovering collective healing strategies and support networks.Some families require additional support because their difficulties outweigh their ability to manage them. The recovery process becomes even more complicated when families encounter both poverty and insufficient access to care. Family resilience develops through proper support systems which enable its growth in families.Families can heal from their difficulties and develop increased strength when they receive support during their recovery process.

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