Rape : victims to survivors : the helping roles of a social worker

Abstract

The purpose of this long essay is to look into the helping roles of the social worker when working with rape victims. In order to attain this objective, it was necessary to analyse the reality of rape, and to identify the roles that social workers can undertake when working with victims of rape. After a brief introduction in Chapter one, Chapter two deals with the incidences of rape, in Malta and overseas so as to provide an extensive insight into the whole reality of rape. Chapter three describes the impact of rape on rape victims and the different stages they go through before they can hope to heal their wounded souls, including its immediate and aftermath. This is backed by related literature. Chapter four deals with different modes of social work interventions to help victims of rape on their road to survival. The three case studies that are included enable us to have a more direct insight into the destructive consequences of rape. A number of recommendations are proposed at the end of this study, with particular emphasis on the need of further specific training for social workers who work with rape victims, in order to provide more intense and on-going services, to meet the needs of each individual.