This paper presents a reflective case study of a family preservation worker's visit to the home of Amy and Vince, a couple with two young children where domestic abuse is suspected. Drawing on a social services scenario, the paper walks through the initial home visit, key observations, and immediate concerns — including signs of physical abuse, alcohol use, and child endangerment. It then examines ethically appropriate interventions available to the worker and considers how earlier, more decisive legal and social service action might have produced a safer outcome for Amy and her children.
As a family preservation worker, I have been sent to Amy's house because the social services agency has received police reports of abuse against Amy. Because there are two children in the family, this constitutes a legal basis for the visit. If an adult member of the family has reported abuse by another adult, it can be assumed that the children are not safe, or are at least vulnerable to potential abuse.
Upon arriving at Amy's house to interview Amy and her husband — without the children present — there is a noticeable tension in the home. Amy has bruises on her left arm, and when I ask how she got them, she explains that she plays in a city recreational slow-pitch softball league and was hit by a line drive. I ask for the name of the team and when the injury occurred. At that point, Vince, the husband, interrupts: "What is this, an interrogation of my wife's recreational activities? She told you she was hit in the arm by a softball, and I suggest that you take her at her word," he says, in a sharp, accusatory tone.
"Sir, I am here as a professional from the social services office in this community, and it is my job to interview families when there has been a police report of abuse of some form," I replied. When he raised his voice, I detected the smell of alcohol on his breath — and it was 10:30 in the morning on a Saturday.
I asked to see the children. Amy, a quiet woman with a look of "deer in the headlights" on her face, went into another room and returned with a toddler and a younger baby. "Aren't you going to take pictures of the fact that the boys are perfectly healthy and happy?" Vince asked, again in a threatening tone. I thanked Amy calmly and was careful not to appear overly investigative in my observation of the boys.
My immediate concerns, which I recorded in my report, are as follows: (a) the father is drinking in the morning and is angry and rude; (b) the mother has bruises and fear in her eyes; (c) there is a noticeable tension in the room, and the boys seem strangely quiet; and (d) the police report indicated that Amy was frightened because Vince had attempted to strangle her, and that he owns a weapon.
I also note a source of strength in the mother — she holds down a job and her employer is very pleased with her work. The father, by contrast, is unemployed and has a history of driving under the influence (DUI). He has legally registered weapons but does not hunt. According to the CDC's research on intimate partner violence, the combination of substance abuse, unemployment, weapon ownership, and prior controlling behavior significantly elevates risk of escalation. I believe this case represents a clear foreshadowing of continuing domestic violence.
"Appropriate professional responses explored"
"Legal and social service alternatives considered"
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