Educating for rights and justice: a content analysis of forensic social work syllabi

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Council on Social Work Education underscores that social workers should be educated to advance human right, social, economic, and environmental justice. This article asserts that forensic social work is an integrated practice specialization at the intersection of the law or legal system, and historically has done just that. However, there is a dearth of research examining forensic courses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct a content analysis of forensic social work and social work and the law syllabi. A comprehensive search of the Internet was conducted to identify publicly available forensic social work or social work and the law syllabi from CSWE accredited social work programs in the United States. Twenty-two syllabi were identified. A content analysis of available syllabi revealed an overarching theme of forensic social work and ‘the pursuit of justice’ and as practice at the intersection of the law and/or legal system. Forensic social work education grounded in a human rights and global justice approach can serve an important functioning in measuring student learning outcomes that target advancing human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice using clinical, interdisciplinary, and policy practice.