Asean Social Work Journal

The Hidden Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Insights from Indonesia for ASEAN Child Protection

2026-07-07T01:34:56+00:00

Challenges in Implementing Participatory Poverty Research with Children: Methodological and Ethical Reflections for Practice in Japan

2025-11-17T22:38:26+00:00

This study examines the challenges of implementing participatory poverty research with children. Conventional poverty research has largely been led by adult researchers, and the concept of child poverty has been constructed without clarifying how children perceive poverty. Although Japanese scholars have recently begun calling for incorporating children’s perspectives into poverty research, little progress has been made in developing empirical methodologies. To address this issue, in addition to the “expert knowledge” of researchers, participatory research in which children take an active role as participants is important. However, due to practical difficulties in implementation, participatory poverty research in Japan remains limited, with most efforts focused on adults and little to no involvement of children. This study draws on participatory poverty research with children in the UK, which has a rich history of such research. Using a framework developed from participatory poverty research with adults in Japan, this study examines how the challenges identified in that framework are manifested and addressed in UK studies with children. Through this analysis, the study aims to clarify specific methodological and ethical considerations for future practice in Japan.

Alternative Care For Children In Indonesia: Assessment Practices In A Cirebon Regency Welfare Institution

2025-11-17T22:19:48+00:00

Alternative care for children, such as residential or institutional care, is recognised internationally as a measure of last resort, to be used only when family-based care is unavailable or unsafe. In this context, conducting comprehensive and rights-based child assessments is critical to ensuring children’s best interests are met before, during, and after placement. In Indonesia, the importance of such assessments has been formally acknowledged through the Ministry of Social Affairs Regulation No. 30/HUK/2011 on National Standards of Child Care in Child Welfare Institutions (Lembaga Kesejahteraan Sosial Anak, or LKSA). This study examines the implementation of those standards in practice, focusing on LKSAs in Cirebon Regency. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through an online survey of 24 LKSA’s, interviews with institutional staff and five children, focus group discussions (FGDs) involving stakeholders such as social workers, LKSA managers, and Social Affairs Office staff, and a document analysis of child assessment records. The findings reveal that most LKSAs have not yet implemented assessments effectively in the initial, follow-up, or developmental stages. This lack of systematic assessment affects the quality of care and institutional accountability. The study argues that child assessments must not be reduced to administrative procedures. Instead, they should be involved in identifying individual needs, planning appropriate interventions, and protecting children’s rights. A rights-based, continuous, and participatory assessment process and strengthened social worker competencies are essential to improving the quality and effectiveness of alternative care services for children in Indonesia.

Communication barriers and the need for support for deaf children in some specialized educational institutions in Vietnam

2026-05-30T08:37:44+00:00

Deaf children encounter significant challenges in communication that affect their learning, psychological well-being, and social integration, particularly in contexts where adequate support systems are limited. This study examines the communication barriers experienced by deaf children in specialized educational institutions in Vietnam. Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were collected from 149 deaf students from two specialized educational institutions in Lam Dong Province; and qualitative data from 20 in-depth interviews with students and four teachers, and one focus group discussion with parents. The findings indicate that while deaf children experience minimal difficulty communicating with deaf peers, they face substantial challenges when interacting with hearing individuals, especially parents, grandparents, and others who lack sign language proficiency. Contributing factors include limited access to effective sign language instruction, insufficient sign language skills, and a scarcity of hearing individuals proficient in sign language. These barriers negatively affect both academic engagement and psychological well-being. The study highlights the need for comprehensive and coordinated support, including early medical intervention, access to hearing aids, strengthened sign language education, and the use of complementary communication strategies such as gestures and written communication. It also suggests an integrated medical, educational, and psychosocial intervention to address the deaf children’s need.

Determinants of Motivation for Field Placement among Vietnamese Social Work Students: A Risk and Protective Factors Analysis

2026-06-24T22:28:10+00:00

Social work education in Vietnam is still developing, with field education emerging as a key area needing attention. Despite the central role of field placement in professional training, limited research has examined factors influencing students’ motivation to engage in field education. This study investigates the risk and protective factors associated with social work students’ motivation for field placement in Vietnam. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted with 541 undergraduate social work students aged 18–28 from eleven universities nationwide. Guided by an ecological perspective, the study examined whether stress, assignment of unprofessional tasks, supervisor availability, and opportunities to apply classroom knowledge and skills were associated with students’ motivation for field placement. The findings indicate that stress and the assignment of unprofessional tasks significantly reduced students’ motivation, whereas opportunities to apply classroom learning in practice and supervisor availability significantly enhanced motivation. Supervisor availability emerged as the strongest positive predictor of motivation. These results suggest that students’ motivation is shaped not only by individual experiences but also by the quality of their learning environment and supervisory support. The findings highlight the need to strengthen field education by improving supervision, reducing placement-related stressors, providing meaningful learning opportunities, and integrating theory and practice more effectively. Such efforts may enhance student engagement and contribute to the development of a competent social work workforce in Vietnam and similar emerging professional contexts.

Women's Livelihood Strategies and Sustainable Ecosystems in the Mahakam Estuary

2025-11-17T22:30:38+00:00

This study aims to identify accessible livelihood resources for women, analyze the factors contributing to the marginalization of women in accessing livelihood resources, and develop a model for women's involvement in sustainable ecosystem management. The research was conducted in the Mahakam River Estuary, East Kalimantan. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods. The sample was obtained using purposive random sampling, with a total of 60 women household members. Informants included forestry extension officers from Delta Mahakam, female leaders of micro, small, and medium enterprises organizations, and women from forest farmer groups in the Mahakam Estuary region. The findings indicate that women in the Mahakam Estuary have access to various natural resources. Women in the Mahakam Estuary adopt livelihood strategies through yard and pond intensification and extensification techniques. Engagement in social networks, training, and capital assistance enhances the economic capacity of women in the Mahakam Estuary. Women's roles in sustainable ecosystem management in the Mahakam Estuary include utilizing abiotic and biotic components to support livelihoods and the economy. Women are also involved in coastal ecosystem conservation efforts by planting various types of mangroves.

The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Enhancing Socio-economic Prosperity of the Third-Gender (Hijra) Community in Bangladesh

2026-07-02T22:01:58+00:00

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept that enables corporations to play an active role in social development beyond their economic goals. This study focuses on how CSR is engendered as a means to increase the socio-economic well-being of the third-gender (hijra) in Bangladesh, which is a minority and socially marginalised group in the country who are constantly excluded from work, health, education and social engagement. The study uses a qualitative doctrinal research approach, focusing on reading the literature and analysing academic, policy, legal, and selected CSR case studies relevant to Bangladesh. It reviews CSR contributions across employment, skills development, health care access, education, and community inclusion, with a focus on the hijra population. The findings suggest that CSR programmes will be of significant value in creating employment, providing vocational training, supporting education, offering healthcare programmes, and integrating supramicrosocietal practices to meet the socio-economic needs of the hijra community. The study also concludes that alliances among corporate, government, and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) actors enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of such interventions. The study concludes by suggesting applying CSR as a tool for inclusive development and social justice in Bangladesh, achieved through a well-informed, participatory, and long-term approach focused on the specific challenges faced by the hijra community

Social Resilience and Adaptive Strategies of Female-Headed Households in Indonesia

2026-07-03T02:07:36+00:00

Female-headed households (FHHs), locally referred to as Perempuan Kepala Keluarga (PEKKA), represent a socially vulnerable group facing multiple and intersecting challenges in simultaneously managing productive and reproductive roles. Within a persistently patriarchal social context, FHHs often experience limited access to economic resources, employment opportunities, and social support. Despite these constraints, many demonstrate strong adaptive capacities that enable them to sustain household livelihoods. This study aims to analyze the adaptive strategies developed by female-headed households in Garut, Indonesia, and to examine how these strategies contribute to the formation of social and economic resilience from a strength-based social work perspective, with relevance to the ASEAN region. This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach using in-depth interviews, participant observation, focus group discussions, and document analysis. Data were collected from five key informants and seventeen participants from PEKKA groups. Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke was applied to identify patterns of resilience across the dimensions of power within, power with, and power to. The findings indicate that FHHs develop adaptive strategies through role prioritization, reliance on kinship networks, livelihood diversification, and engagement with community and government programs. Social resilience emerges not merely from external interventions but from internal strengths and collective solidarity.