Experiences of social workers with children reared in same-gender families in Johannesburg

Abstract

Some social workers are concerned with children raised in same-gender families. They argue that this may result in children suffering from gender identity crisis. Some, however, perceive this as being prejudice and unfounded. The purpose of this paper was to explore the experiences (practices) of social workers in placing children in same-gender families in relation to their gender identity challenges. This study was qualitative in nature. It was conducted in the Johannesburg area. In-depth interviews were used as a method of gathering data from social workers to answer the research questions. The findings indicate that it is true that most social workers are concerned with the placement of children in same-gender family structures. However, the study revealed that there are many factors that influence the formation and development of gender identity. The study concludes that while social workers have different experiences in handling same-gender placements, their experiences are predominantly negative. It recommends that there should be an improvement in the implementation of the South African Constitution, Children’s Act coupled with its rules and regulations. Finally, the study also recommends that the Department of Social Development, Child Protection Organisations (CPOs) and Child Youth Care Centres (CYCCs) should design a programme to train and support social workers in dealing with same-gender cases.