ASSIG

6200

Adolescent High-Risk Behavior

The brain continues to develop in adolescence, not reaching the full functioning of an adult brain until the person is in their 20s. Because the brain is still maturing, development of areas related to impulse control, emotions, and risk are not complete at this stage. As such, adolescents cannot fully process the consequences of their actions and often act instinctively. This can lead them to engage in high-risk behaviors. Other factors, too, such as peer socialization, the family environment, and mental health, play a role in such behavior.

Case study as the background for the power point

Dani is a 14-year-old, biracial female of African and Irish American descent who resides with her parents in a middle-class suburb. She is the youngest of three children and is currently the only child remaining in the home. Dani's parents have been married for 25 years. Dani's father works in the creative arts field with a nontraditional work schedule that has him gone overnight and sleeping late into the morning. Dani’s mother is an executive who works long hours. Dani was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia in early childhood and was hospitalized multiple times. At present, Dani’s health is stable with the last serious episode occurring 2 years ago.

 Dani’s parents sought out counseling services for behavioral issues on the recommendation of her school. The issues included argumentative behavior with authority figures, physical altercations with peers, poor concentration in class, irritable mood, verbal combativeness when confronted, truancy, and highly sexualized behavior with male peers. On one occasion, a teacher had witnessed her and a male peer being intimate in the girl’s bathroom at school. At home, Dani had become more argumentative and physically threatening. Her parents had discovered that she and her friends drank alcohol regularly in their home when they were away. Dani's parents reported that she was up most of the night and slept most of the day. They also reported that her mood was highly irritable and that she was extremely impulsive. She had no interest in getting involved with any extracurricular activities, stating that those things are “corny and boring.”

Cutting, scratching, burning, hair-pulling. For some adolescents, experiencing self-inflicted physical pain becomes a regular practice to manage psychological pain. This is not a rare phenomenon. In fact, studies have put the range anywhere from 12%–37% of high schoolers engaging in some form of self-harm (Cornell University, 2021). Whether used as a coping mechanism, a way to express anger, or for dealing with intense emotional pain, self-harm (also known as self-injury) is often a call for help.

Social workers must understand self-harm warning signs and intervention strategies in order to appropriately respond. In this Assignment, you develop a presentation to raise awareness and educate other social work professionals on this issue.

Assisgement:

 

 

 Submit: a 5- to 6-slide narrated PowerPoint presentation explaining the indicators of self-harm, appropriate interventions, and follow-up steps for professionals needing to respond to adolescents who self-harm

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PowerPoint slides should present bulleted text on the slides with a full transcript of the presentation in the notes section. Please use the Learning Resources and additional research to support your presentation. Include citations and a Reference slide to document the sources you have used.

 

6101

Cultural Awareness in Social Work Practice

In order to become a practitioner who addresses the diverse needs of your clients in a sensitive and respectful manner, you must be dedicated to continued education around the needs and experiences of different groups, religions, ethnicities, and other populations. The first step is to identify any personal biases and perceptions you might have about other cultures. From a broader perspective, how might an individual’s culture, race, ethnicity, disability, or sexual orientation affect how society perceives and treats them? Which potential social structures may perpetuate the oppression and marginalization of certain groups? The most important attribute you can bring to this topic is an open mind and a willingness to learn about others unlike yourself and ask how they want to be treated by you as a social worker. In this Discussion, you consider these topics in relation to a case study depicting issues in cultural competence.

Interview Presentation: Questions

To prepare:

· Identify an interview subject with a different cultural background than you.

· Ask your interview subject the questions below. Be sure to record the interview and/or take good notes.

During the interview, ask the individual the following interview questions:

· Have you ever lived or visited outside of the United States? If so, where? Describe the experience.

· What do you identify as your culture?

· What are the most important values and beliefs of your family and community?

· What are the important events, traditions, celebrations, and practices in your family or community?

· How does your family or community define gender roles?

· How do you identify your:

· Race

· Ethnicity

· National origin

· Color

· Sex

· Sexual orientation

· Gender identity or expression

· Age

· Marital status

· Political belief

· Religion

· Immigration status

· Disability status

· How well do you fit within your family or community based on these other identities you hold?

· How do you think others outside your community view your culture?

· Have you experienced prejudice or discrimination? Please describe.

Assisgment:

· Identify an interview subject.

· Download the Interview Presentation: Questions handout from the Learning Resources.

· Ask your interview to subject the questions found in the Interview Presentation handout. Be sure to record the interview (with participant’s permission) and/or take good notes.

· You will not submit the interview itself. You create a presentation about the interview.

· Record a PowerPoint presentation. Your video should be 4–5 minutes but no more than 6 minutes.

a recorded PowerPoint (PPT) presentation about your interview with a person from a different culture than your own. Your PowerPoint presentation should include 8–10 slides and should be 4–5 minutes in recorded lengths