A book review on school Social Work practice and research around the world, published in Issue #4, 2015 of Children & Schools, reflects the growth and development of this professional practice. The reviewers note that "There is a general consensus that key functions of social workers in schools are to promote positive well-being among students, foster children’s rights, and create better academic and socioemotional outcomes for children and young people. However, the scope of school social work services among the seven selected countries or places varies considerably." Several themes emerge from this edited volume. First, though school social work is a commonly used avenue to deal with at-risk youths such as school dropouts, drug abusers, and school bullies, there is still a lack of a clear definition of the exact purpose and role of the school social worker around the world. There is an urgent need for international comparative studies in the field of school social work (Huxtable & Blyth, 2002) to initiate further discussions on the mission and standards of its services for children and young people. Second, it is pleasing to see that individual researchers around the world have started to look for empirical evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness and outcomes of social work interventions. There are numerous examples of “best practices” presented to meet the changing personal, psychological, emotional, and social needs of young students. The move toward more evidence-based practice is commendable, but whether or not the outcomes of successful programs can be achieved across different locational contexts remains to be seen.". Read more>> (An item from the ISHN Member information service)
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