SKILLS AND QUALITIES OF SOCIAL GROUP WORK IN CORRECTIONAL SETTINGS

1. SKILLS AND QUALITIES OF SOCIAL
GROUP WORKER AND GROUP WORK
IN CORRECTIONAL SETTINGS
SREESHNA KRISHNA

2. SKILL
In a general sense skill means the capacity
to perform activities.
According to Trecker
Skill is the capacity to apply knowledge and
understanding to a given situation.

3. Trecker has listed the following basic skills of social group
work
1) Skill in Establishing Purposeful Relationship
 The group worker must be skilful in gaining the
acceptance of the group and in relating himself to
the group on a positive professional basis.
 The group worker must be skillful in helping
individuals in the group to accept one another and
to join with the group in common pursuits

4. 2) Skill in Analysing the Group Situation
a) The worker must be skillful in judging the developmental
level of the group to determine what the level is, what the
group needs and how quickly the group can be expected
to move. This calls for skill in direct observation of
groups on a basis of analysis and judgement.
b) The group worker must be skillful in helping the group to
express ideas, work out objectives, clarify immediate goals
and see both its potentialities and limitations as a group.

5. 3) Skill in Participation with the Group
 The group worker must be skillful in determining,
interpreting, assuming and modifying his own roles
with the group.
The group worker must be skillful in helping, group
members to participate, to locate leadership among
themselves and to take responsibility for their own
activities.

6. 4) Skill in Dealing with Group Feeling
 The group worker must be skilful in controlling his
own feelings about the group and must study each
new situation with a high degree of objectivity.
 The group worker must be skillful in helping
groups to release their own feelings, both positive
and negative. He must be skillful in helping groups to
analyze situations as part of the working through
group or intergroup conflicts.

7. 5) Skill in Programme Development
The group worker must be skillful in guiding group
thinking so that interests and needs will be revealed
and understood.
The group worker must be skillful in helping groups
to develop programmes, which they want as a means
through which their needs may be met.

8. 6) Skill in Using Agency and Community
Resources
The group worker must be skillful in locating and
then acquainting the group with various helpful
resources which can be utilized by the members for
programme purpose.
The group worker must be skillful in helping
certain individual members to make use of
specialized services by means of referral that cannot
be met within the group.

9. 7) Skill in Evaluation
The group worker must have skill in recording the
development processes that are going on as he works
with the group.
 The group worker must be skillful in using his
records and in helping the group to review its
experiences as a means of improvement.

10. Qualities of a Group worker
Social group worker must have certain essential
qualities where she/he brings harmony and co-
operation between groups and the individuals on the
basis of knowledge and experience.

11. Empathy
Social work is a caring profession that requires an
empathic approach to dealing with other people. So
worker need the capacity to feel with others.
Positive attitude
Worker should have a positive attitude toward group.
Self confidence
Group worker should have self confidence in dealing
with group.
Flexibility
Worker need to be adaptable to any changes in group

12. Spirit of Appreciation
Showing appreciation for the efforts of co-workers
is a quality necessary to the functioning of a
successful group.
Honesty
Worker should be honest towards group and group
members.

13. Decision making quality
It is very important in social work profession also. To
take appropriate and acceptable decisions in group
is necessory for its successive development.

14. Group work in correctional settings
Correction is one segment of the Criminal Justice
System.
Correctional institution or setting is a place where a
person accused of or convicted of a crime is lodged
for a specified period of time

15. Role of social worker in prison
Social worker in correctional facilities provide
two types of services: supportive services
within the institution and connections to
resources in community.
Social work services might be utilized in the
areas of mental health, substace abuse,
education and vocational rehabilation.

16. Group work in Correctional settings
Social workers can play a major role in helping the
prisoners through group work.
The first phase of the group work usually has highly
structured and well planned sessions with clear
objectives.
After a few sessions a interactive approach can be
used.
Most of the activities based on here and now
activities, activity based programme like those
needing movement of the body are recommended.

17. Various role plays like problem solving, feedback,
self-disclosure, confrontation, creating social support
network and providing information are important
techiniques.

18. Reference
S. Rengasamy - Social Group Work
Gracious Thomas - Social group work intervention
in correctional settings
en wikipedia