Addressing Family Conflicts and Social Vulnerability

Posted on Oct 11, 2025 in Business Administration and Management (BAM)

Identifying Social and Family Difficulties

Challenges to Quality of Life

Meeting essential needs in different areas: food, housing, employment, education, leisure, and social security.

Family Relationship Conflicts

Relations between different individuals, conflicts, and crises stemming from common life:

  • Couple conflicts.
  • Parent-child relationships: responding to their own developmental stages.
  • Intergenerational solidarity: the care of dependent members and new family responsibilities.

Identity and Cultural Challenges

Issues regarding identity, coexistence of children from different unions, cultural uprooting, migration, and cultural changes.

Extreme Situations and Disorganization

Sudden changes in living conditions causing imbalances and hampering the development of a life plan. This may be caused by the sudden disappearance of a member, leading to strong family disorganization and potentially requiring specialized professional help.

Situations of Social Vulnerability

Examples of social risk include teenage pregnancy, single mothers with large families, grandparents responsible for grandchildren, children in conflict with the law, immigrants, and the homeless.

Abuse and Violence

Disenfranchisement, violence, and sexual assault (domestic violence).

Professional Intervention Techniques

Mediation: Reaching Agreements

Mediation is a technical and non-directive intervention aimed at reaching agreements. It requires creating channels of communication, facilitating consensus, and making decisions about family operations or responsibilities. Dialogue between the parties is the main tool.

Characteristics of Mediation

  • Process Time: Duration depends on each specific case.
  • Neutrality and Impartiality: The mediator must be neutral and impartial, provided they do not violate the rights of any party.
  • Confidentiality: There must be complete confidentiality throughout the process.
  • Voluntary Participation: Participation is always voluntary, and depends on the parties continuing or suspending the mediation.

Stages of Mediation

  1. Involvement of the parties in mediation and mutual acceptance of the process.
  2. Explanation of the objectives and steps to follow.
  3. Agreement on the subjects: Asking and listening to focus on the issues and concrete problems.
  4. Collection of information from the parties: It is important to express not only opinions but also feelings and emotions.
  5. Exploring the needs and options available to the parties.

The Professional Interview

Phases of the Interview

  1. Liaison and Presentation Phase: Initial approach, explaining the process, facilitating user involvement, and helping to create a pleasant climate.
  2. Development Phase: Where the planned intervention is presented and applied. Objectives are set and worked upon.
  3. Final Phase and Liaison: Reviewing what has been discussed, resolving doubts, and clearly defining the commitments made by both parties.

It is desirable that the meetings last approximately one hour and a half.

Designing an Interview

Key elements for interview design:

  1. Reason for the interview.
  2. Respondent identification.
  3. Date, place, and duration.
  4. Ordered questions.

In the case of a structured interview, the precise wording of the questions must be established beforehand.

Support and Counseling Techniques

This technique allows professionals to work on the following aspects:

  • Knowledge of oneself.
  • Increased confidence and security.
  • Reduction of anxiety.
  • Preparation for change.
  • Adaptation to a new situation.
  • Changing misperceptions.
  • Mobilizing personal resources.

Types of Counseling

  1. Directive Counseling: Uses direct questions to identify and study the situation or problem.
  2. Non-Directive Counseling: Focuses on the person rather than solely on the problem.
  3. Eclectic Counseling: Combines elements of both directive and non-directive approaches.

The Home Visit

Key Observation Indicators

  • Residents of the house.
  • Housekeeping standards.
  • Housing conditions.
  • Relations between family members.
  • Meeting the needs of members.

Observations should be discreet and brief; some professionals advise not to exceed half an hour. It is generally best not to accept offers from the user, unless doing so helps create a more comfortable environment. Visits must always be agreed upon based on the user’s interests and availability.