Terrorism: Response To Terrorism

Since the 1970’s known to the general public there has been 99 attacks on the UK in relation to terrorism, whether, successfully carried out, or has been Prevented or failed. That’s approximately 2.5 attacks a year, which can have a huge effect. Most of us have been touched in one way or another by terrorist attacks in the UK. The fact that Britain has had so many attacks it is surprising to find here is a lack of corresponding research in this area. Yet Europe countries have done research and it appears that we adopt their responses.

The Social work profession has traditionally advocated for the rights of those at risk. Social work has participated in the ‘War on Poverty’, ‘War on Drugs’, and most recently, the most recent case ‘War on Terror’.

Currently, and surprisingly NASW does not have a binding policy statement on terrorism. For years the social work profession has maintained a tradition of being in the forerunner of upholding and defending the rights of vulnerable peoples and communities and promoting social justice. Responses to terrorism may confront Social Workers with a variety of stressor’s and place them in ethically difficult situations (Ferguson, 2007, p211).

The Social work professional opinion is formed by our individual values and beliefs about what is right and wrong and by notions of equality. The codes of Practice and Ethics are our guiding moral compass through terrorist responses (Bowles, et al, 2006, p66).

Following the 7/7 attacks in London British social Workers are working with on an international group of social workers following 9/11 condemning terrorism, but calling for research of any possible underlying causes in terrorism. The statement suggested that terrorism could be fuelled; in part by ...

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...s Social Workers in the UK have little guidance for this type of ethical dilemma (Rooney, & Rooney, 2010, p117-119).

As professionals, we have similar conflicting feeling like when we are working with child molesters and abusers, all of whom elicit powerful feelings. What to do with these feeling is still an issue.

Beckett, (2012, p23) suggests “terrorism seems to have hit our values, as well as the traumatic impact on human victims. Is it humanly possible for Social Workers to respect the dignity and worth of terrorists, or can social workers being expected to do so?”

Social workers relevance in a world that includes mass violence and the conditions which give rise to such acts of terrorism by individuals, groups and nations; the values of social work must reassess its ethics and values and define their significance to changing conditions (Holody 2004, p. 187).