Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Spousal Abuse And Social Workers : When Private Sphere Goes Public, King Fan, Veronica Shek

Lingnan Theses

This study uses the concept of public and private spheres to analyze how Hong Kong‘s social workers manage spousal abuse cases. Victims of spousal abuse in Hong Kong generally see their experiences as "family shame‖" something that belongs to the private domain - and are therefore reluctant to disclose them to third parties. However, there is a public conviction that social workers are appropriate agents to handle spousal abuses. This study examines the roles and responsibilities of social workers and their service recipients in spousal abuse cases. The analysis is based on eleven semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with social workers …