Social Work with Children, Young People and Families: A Case Study Analysis

Running Head: SOCIAL WORK WITH THE CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE FAMILIES
SOCIAL WORK WITH THE CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE FAMILIES
NAME OF THE STUDENT
NAME OF THE UNIVERSITY
AUTHOR’S NOTE

1SOCIAL WORK WITH THE CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE FAMILIES
The essay deals with the case study of the Askin family and how they are coping up with
the poor performance of Justin in his school as well as his aggressive behavi8or at school as well
as home. The issue of the separation of the parents is not easy for the children and in the case of
Justin, he was not ready for the separation considering his early age. Justin has been a victim of
his situation as he has not been provided the care and support which he so thoroughly deserved.
The essay analyses the situation of the Askin family using the ecological systems theory and in
doing so assumes the environment of the Askin family and measures the systems from different
perspectives. The essay also provides analysis, strengths as well as suggest approaches so that
Justin might be managed properly and efficiently, and the mistakes of the past can be rectified.
Fred and Gill also need to focus more on the things needed to improve the situation for Justin so
that Justin at least manages to make a living for himself.
The case study of the Askin family is done based on the Ecological Systems theory. The
overall evaluation of the ecosystem within the Askin family reveals that there have been some
unwanted errors which were committed while raising Justin. Fred and Gill were relatively young
when Gill got impregnated and she was not prepared for abortion due to her inherent belief that
every child has a right to life. They both decided to marry and after Justin was conceived, Gill
suffered from postpartum depression. Then after, Gill gave birth to Hannah and Philip. These
incidents made Justin feel more lonely and miserable. Justin was also placed under childcare
from a very early age. Gill contemplates that Justin needed more quality time from both Gill and
Fred but was unable to receive the attention which he thoroughly deserved. The final blow came
when Fred decided to walk away from Gill and entered a relationship with Susie. Justin was very
close to Fred and was considered a daddy’s boy. These chronosystems reveal that Justin was a
victim of the external circumstances and he was craving for care and attention in his childhood

2SOCIAL WORK WITH THE CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE FAMILIES
years (Cumming & Allen, 2017). Even though the in laws of both the parents have been
supportive towards the upbringing of the children, especially the parents of Gill but there is no
denying the fact that Justin was in more need of the parent’s care and support in his early years.
The reciprocal transactions or the cyclical interactions wherein the systems interact, and which
have an influence upon each other reveals that the turbulent relationship of Gill and Fred took a
heavy toll upon Justin. Justin was unable to cope with his studies as well and his school report
card reveals that he is lagging in math and reading abilities as compared to his peers (Allen &
Garmestani, 2015). He has behavioral issues and indulges in bullying and is unmanageable in
school. His younger sibling, Hannah, though is a model student. Philip is still in his early days
and is becoming acquainted with being outside his home and away from his mother. The turmoil
at home negatively affected the adapting ability of Justin and he has a serious problem coping up
with new environments and situations. The microsystem or the people closest to Justin includes
his father Fred and his football coach. Due to his physical built and him being stronger than his
peers, he is an asset in his football and cricket teams. Justin’s homeostasis or his ability to be
resilient in an external situation is on the weaker side and his aggressive behavior suggests that
he is intimidated and fearful of other people (Valentinov & Chatalova, 2016). The disturbances
in the macrosystems of an individual can force the person to be aggressive and violent like Justin
(Virapongse et al., 2016). As for the health aspects of the Askin family, everybody is healthy and
fit except Sarah who is Gill’s younger sister and who is suffering from breast cancer and
undergoing chemotherapy. Gill has asthma, but it is under control.
The strengths of the Askin family can be enumerated based on the following aspects
based on the ecological systems theory. From the microsystem basis which is the home and the
family, Justin is supported by his mother Gill as well as his maternal grandparents, Jim Lucey