Aims of the SIG
Adult protection (which is also known as adult safeguarding) can be understood as a set of activities through which adults who are unable to protect themselves, due to a care or support need, are supported to receive protection, in line with human rights imperatives (Dixon et al, 2022; Emmer De Albuquerque, 2022; HIQA and Safeguarding Ireland, 2019). Adults with a range of support needs may require assistance or protection from abuse and neglect. Such support needs include, but are not limited to, dementia, a mental health problem, a learning disability or advanced old age. The types of harm or abuse which adults may experience include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, modern slavery and neglect. Adult protection has become a key concern of social workers in many jurisdictions (Donnelly et al, 2017). However, state policies vary significantly with state responses being well developed in some countries but underdeveloped or absent in others. The degree to which governments subscribe to and apply international human rights conventions and treaties is also variable.
This SIG emerges from a symposium which was held at the ESWRA conference in 2025, entitled, “Social Work and Adult Protection – Policy, Research and Practice Across National Boundaries”, where the presenters and attendees expressed a wish to work together in the future. The aim of the SIG is to provide a forum for international social work scholars to network with one another on matters relating to adult protection/adult safeguarding.
Objectives of the SIG
Scope of the SIG: e.g. field of interest; research focus; inclusivity strategies; likely development of the SIG.
The SIG will focus on understanding the nature and extent of adult abuse and neglect, national policies and practice and social work responses to this issue. We will adopt a broad focus of adult abuse and neglect which encompasses all adult groups, rather than focussing specifically on one sub-type of abuse (such as elder abuse).
The aim of the group is to promote an international understanding of adult abuse and neglect which will encourage dialogue and collaboration between qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods researchers as well as those drawing on critical, sociological or other established academic perspectives. We also seek to develop comparative research to better understand where, why and how adults experience harm and how social work can better prevent such abuse, or support and protect individuals where it occurs. We will also identify how the needs of adults who are harmed, abused or neglected can be better advocated for using international frameworks (such as the Hague Protection of Adults Convention and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities). We also explore how national laws and policies as well as social work interventions in this area might be improved.
Currently, much of the research on adult protection/safeguarding is focussed on Canada, England, the United States, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Our aim is to encourage scholarly work in under-represented countries. The group also aims to support scholars at all academic career stages and will seek in the longer-term to provide activities for early career scholars and doctoral students.
We aim to meet annually at the ESWRA conference but also to hold at least two online symposiums a year. As adult abuse and neglect affect all adult groups there is scope for us to hold joint events with other SIGs. We have already written to the convenors of the Mental Health Special Interest Group, the Decision-Making Assessment and Risk Special Interest Group (DARSIG) and the European Network on Gerontological Social Work, all of whom have expressed a willingness to work with us on such events.
SIG Convenors
List of the initial SIG members.
We propose the following activities in our first year:
References
