Social Work Speaks Abstracts

Education of Children and Youths

Myriad factors affect a child’s ability and motivation to learn. These factors include family situations; mental, emotional and physical abilities; and societal influences. The September 11th terrorist attacks, the Columbine High School tragedy, and more recently, the massacre of school children in Russia have had a serious emotional impact on children’s sense of security. In addition, the use of computers as well as access to the seemingly unlimited information on the Internet has brought about significant changes in the learning process. Furthermore, the federal government has been a major player in the education of children and youths by passing laws that set standards and by providing the major source of funding for schools. School social workers play a significant role by being sensitive to all of these factors in their work with the children, their families, school personnel, and community resources.