CADV 310- Case Study: As you consider the situation, the facts that you have learned, and what you have observed, what dynamics might be operating in this family?.
CADV 310- Case Study
Carlos: A Young Boy Whose Teacher Suspects He is Being Abused Envision yourself as a protective services social worker in an agency based in a large, ethnically diverse city. There is, in the city, a large population of Hispanic families who live in one specific area and keep largely to themselves. Most are Puerto Rican, although there are also a few Cuban families as well. You are on an intake and the following case comes into the agency. Mrs. Hayes, a second grade teacher, calls with concerns about Carlos Velázquez, a boy in her class. She was initially concerned that the child was falling asleep during school. When she questioned him about getting enough sleep, the child admitted that “sometimes it was noisy and he could not always get to sleep.” When asked about the cause of the noise, he would say no more. Mrs. Hayes called his mother who spoke little English and could not communicate on the phone. Finally the mother got a neighbor who spoke English. The neighbor translated for the mother who said that there had been “a lot of changes lately.” She said that she would try to see that Carlos got more sleep. The neighbor implied that the mother was concerned, but it was difficult for her to tell through the translation. Soon after this, another issue arose concerning Carlos. The teacher who had playground duty complained that Carlos had been especially aggressive with other children lately. His reaction when he wanted something, such as a ball, was to punch the student who had it and take it away. This seemed especially true with his female classmates. Mrs. Hayes spoke with Carlos in an attempt to get to the bottom of his behavior. Carlos finally said that he was “just being a man and taking what he wanted!” Yesterday, Carlos came in with a very sore back. He was sent to the school nurse who observed that his back was badly bruised. She was concerned about abuse and suggested that the protective services agency be contacted. You thank Mrs. Hayes and assure her that the case will be investigated.
That afternoon, accompanied by a Spanish-speaking colleague, you go on a home visit to the Velázquez family. They live in the middle floor of a very run-down triple-decker in the heart of the Hispanic area. Many of the families are newly settled and there have been attempts on the part of the CADV 310- Case Study city to get the landlords to clean up. Because of the fast turnover of families and the fact that it is not difficult to rent these houses to newly immigrated families, little has been accomplished to date. You find Mrs. Velázquez at home with her two younger children, ages two and one. She becomes very agitated when she is told through translation why you are there. Tearfully, she cries in Spanish, “Please don’t take my babies!” You try to comfort her and let her know that you are not here for that purpose, but that you need to know about Carlos’ bruises and recent behavior. The mother tells you that things have been very unsettled lately. A month ago, her husband was finally able to join them from Puerto Rico. She and her children had been here for the last year, but he had been unable to come until now. The mother had been working cleaning offices, but when her husband came, he was angry that she had a job and insisted that she quit. As she is reluctantly telling her story, the door opens and a large man bursts in. He sees her talking to you and furiously begins to yell at her in Spanish. He points angrily at you and the door. Your bilingual colleague tries to calm him for a few minutes and then motions to you to leave which you both do. Your colleague tells you that Mr. Velázquez was quite angry with his wife for talking to both of you. He had said to her that “he is the man of the house and she has no right to be going behind his back.” Under the circumstances, your colleague felt it best to leave. Considering the suspicion of abuse, your agency mandates that you investigate this situation. What would you do?
Questions: 1) As you consider the situation, the facts that you have learned, and what you have observed, what dynamics might be operating in this family? 2) Is Carlos being abused? 3) What impact do cultural differences have on this case?