Anti-oppressive practice and young male suicide

Question

How can I link anti-oppression theory in social work to the social justice issue of young male suicide in Australia?

Answer

Relationships of oppression can be established, consciously or unconsciously, where one participant takes on a role of inferiority and another adopts a role of superiority or dominance. There are several ways in which this type of relationship can come about in the circumstance of a social worker dealing with a young male who is at risk of self-harm or suicide:

• Where the social worker is significantly older than the service user, this can unconsciously put them in a position of authority.
• By virtue of their professional role, the social worker can be perceived as an ‘expert’, thus lending them authority.
• The mental health issue might carry a stigma about the service user’s rationality, which may result in a patriarchal attitude from the social worker.
• Where the service user is a risk to themselves and intervention is required, this puts the social worker in a position of dominance and control.

Where there is a risk of these types of power relations forming, it is important that the social worker employs Anti-Oppressive Practice. This involves remaining conscious of these social forces and counteracting them by empowering the client, involving them in decisions about their care, and communicating plainly – without ‘insider’ jargon.

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