March/April 2016 Issue

Editor's Note: March Winds
By Marianne Mallon
Social Work Today
Vol. 16 No. 2 P. 4

March winds blow strong in a month full of serious commitment to a noble profession and into the following month that seeks answers to a problem ripe with challenges. March is National Social Work Month and April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

In March, we honor social workers in all settings who do the hard work of helping individuals, families, and communities.

In April, we focus on children and youth abuse in all its forms and how professionals and the public can prevent it.

By dedicating our publication to social workers, we honor the profession of social work in every issue, every year, but in this issue, our feature on macro social work education pays special attention to what many consider the roots of social work following in the footsteps of the field's founders, for when the field first developed, macro social work was the dominant focus. Our feature describes how change occurred and focus gradually shifted to clinical practice, but now, macro social work is poised for resurgence.

Child abuse is one of the most disturbing problems that social workers must deal with in their profession, and youth sex trafficking has become a particularly insidious part of the abuse landscape over the past several decades. Because of its secretive nature and lack of available research, not as much is known about this type of abuse, but social workers can learn to identify and engage victims and remain nonjudgmental.

March is a month rich in celebration and honor of social workers, some of the hardest-working, most compassionate, and dedicated human services professionals who truly "don't do it for the money." April brings the somber message of protecting our youth from trafficking and abuse by those individuals who would victimize tender hearts, minds, and bodies at a deeply vulnerable time of human development.

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Marianne Mallon
SWTeditor@gvpub.com