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206 Interesting Social Work Research Topics You Should Consider

social work research topics

Many students struggle to find suitable social work research topics. This field has many subjects that learners can explore in their dissertations. The simplest social work definition describes it as a set of functions that enable you to improve other people’s lives. A social worker helps children and adults cope with daily issues, personal issues, family issues, and relationship troubles.

Considering the scope of this field, selecting an ideal social work research topic can be challenging. Learners have many pressing issues that they can cover in their papers. Nevertheless, choosing an interesting topic is essential in writing a winning dissertation.

Social Work Research Paper Outline

Once you’ve chosen a topic for your social work dissertation or research paper, the next step is to outline it. Your outline should highlight the components of your work, incorporating the argument. Also, identify your stance on an issue, tying up the other parts of the paper because it will enable you to create a thesis statement. Here are the key sections to highlight in your outline.

Introduction: The intro should present your study’s background while providing relevant details of the problem. Use a strong opening phrase to grab your readers’ attention and engage them so they can read the rest of the paper. The introduction should present your study’s context, formulate its primary goal, and end with an effective thesis statement. Main body: This section should feature the main arguments. It highly depends on your research type and the methods you use. It may include a literature review analyzing other scholars’ findings and identifying gaps in previous studies. Also, this section explains the methods you use in your research, results, and discussions. Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize the findings and wrap up the dissertation. You can restate your thesis statement to remind readers about your position on the issue and your goal. The best approach is to reward the thesis statement persuasively while encouraging readers to think about the problem. Also, you can recommend further research explaining why the topic is worth exploring.

After drafting an outline, you can proceed to research and write your social work paper. Edit and proofread the work or seek professional assistance to ensure its quality.

General Social Work Research Topics Ideas

Maybe you want to write a thesis on general topics in this study field. In that case, here are ideas you can explore in your paper.

  • How substance abuse influence parenting
  • Teenager adoption- Happiness and hardships that come with it
  • How to address the inclination to commit suicide
  • Should society question the stigma surrounding mental sickness?
  • Foster homes and group therapy- Is it effective?
  • How does the lack of child support affect childcare
  • Investigating autistic children and social displacement
  • How does clinical depression affect adolescent children
  • How does continuous mobility influence orphan toddlers
  • Analyzing the stigma surrounding depression
  • How to manage intrinsic PTSD for medical veterans
  • Exploring the stigma surrounding disability
  • How homelessness influences a person’s psychology
  • How does displacement influence aggressiveness among street children
  • How the works of several agencies affect child protection
  • Exploring perceptions and attitudes of oppression between the community and health professionals
  • Addressing cultural perspectives- Transiting to social work
  • The social worker’s role in deciding to end life
  • Lifelong learning model- Exploring evidence-based practices
  • The reflection law- a learning model or self-indulgence in social work

These are general ideas worth exploring in your social work dissertation. Nevertheless, please select any of these titles when confident you will be comfortable working on them.

Common Social Worker Research Topics

Maybe you’re searching for something your readers can quickly identify with when reading your paper. If so, this section lists some of the best ideas to investigate in your social work thesis.

  • How to create dyslexia patients’ awareness
  • Analyzing similarities and differences between ADHD and dyslexia
  • How alcoholism affects personal, family, and social lifestyle
  • How a family can exacerbate depression
  • Why academic and social integration matter for kids suffering from down syndrome
  • Investigating the social exclusion of kids with down syndrome
  • The effectiveness of anti-depressants- A clinical study
  • How alcoholism affects a person’s psyche
  • The positive impact of sponsors on recovering addicts’ lives
  • Investigating family support and its effects on alcohol recovery
  • Why group therapy matters for foster home children
  • How clinical depression affects teenage girls
  • How the lack of support affects child care in America
  • How ADHD affects foster home children
  • How mental illness misdiagnosis affects people
  • How to address suicidal tendencies in military units
  • Why social interrogation matters when dealing with stigma surrounding mental illness
  • How parents’ bipolar affects their children’s lives and parenting
  • Is childhood displacement the cause of antisocial lifestyle among foster children?
  • The joys and struggles of teenagers’ adoption
  • Investigating the undisclosed rape violence cases among military women- How it affects their service and lives
  • How substance abuse affects parenting
  • Child-parent separation- Investigating the stigma it brings
  • Positive impacts of divorce on children’s lifestyle and health
  • Addressing substance abuse issues among teenagers
  • How death affects a family’s well-being
  • Family support study- Is it a viable option for alcohol recovery?

Most people will identify with these topics because they touch on issues with which they are familiar. However, investigate the matter you select carefully to develop a winning dissertation.

Exciting Social Work Research Questions

Maybe you want to answer a question in your thesis paper. If so, consider any of these questions as a topic for your essay.

  • How can you support an adult living with a disability?
  • What are the social and psychological impacts of student loans?
  • What are the psychological, physical, and emotional effects of incarceration of pregnant mothers?
  • What challenges do minority children face in foster homes?
  • Transformative change- Can police brutality enhance it?
  • How can society deal with the rising obesity in America?
  • How can we support bipolar patients?
  • What are the effects of incarcerated individuals’ entry into the community?
  • What is the percentage of incarcerated adults among minority groups?
  • Does substance misuse increase alcoholism cases?
  • How does community violence affect LGBT lives?
  • What is the difference between Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2?
  • Can trauma inform children’s education in foster homes?
  • Can protesting police brutality promote transformative change?
  • Does divorce affect all children’s psyches negatively?
  • Does foster homes’ trauma cause kids’ disappearance from the facility?
  • Can implementing learning curriculums with a positive impact on dyslexic students enhance academics?
  • Does trauma-informed learning reflect parenting?
  • Do food and house security affect foster children throughout their lives?
  • Has the criminal justice system failed social lifestyle in America?
  • What are the primary workplace trauma signs?
  • How can society address workplace violence?
  • How do scarcity and poverty affect young children’s psychology?
  • How can you identify depression in a teenager?
  • Has the American healthcare system failed minority groups?
  • What are the risks of kids-parent separation?
  • What are the impacts of living with dyslexia?
  • Is depression a mental disorder?
  • What are the effects of racial disparity?

Any of these questions can be an excellent title for your dissertation. Nevertheless, consult various information sources to write a high-quality paper.

Human Services Research Paper Topics

Human services is a part of the social work field dealing with issues related to human services, factors affecting them, and how to address the challenges. Here are ideas to consider in this category.

  • How to address panic, anxiety, and depression in young children
  • The psychological impact of human trafficking on victims
  • Psychological effects of child trafficking
  • Similarities between adult incarceration and juvenile delinquency
  • How unemployment affects people
  • Factors that increase depression cases among the youth
  • Police system- Defunded, reformed, or abolished?
  • How the carceral system in America affects minority and low-income homes
  • Social integration of dyslexic and down syndrome patients
  • Effective ways to enhance welfare conditions
  • Food banks and their adverse psychological effects
  • The benefits of food banks on American lives
  • The impact of home violence on children
  • The result of high school bullying
  • Why welfare workers need support groups and therapy
  • How to enhance love in foster homes
  • Resilience practice among social workers
  • Juvenile delinquency impacts in America
  • The shortcomings of America’s carceral system
  • How to address the homophobia issue in the U.S
  • How homophobia affects LGBT+ adults
  • What causes family violence?
  • How to address spousal violence
  • How family cruelty affects lives
  • Undiagnosed bipolar cases and their effects
  • Impacts of misdiagnosed mental illnesses
  • How to enhance LGBTQ+ kids’ support systems
  • The result of home insecurity on the homeless
  • How to bridge the gap between community members and formerly incarcerated individuals
  • Incarceration- Abolished or reformed?

These human services topics are worth investigating in a research paper. However, take the time to research your chosen title to write an exciting piece.

Controversial Topics In Social Work

Some social work essay topics are controversial. Some people find these titles controversial because they provoke public interest. Here are some of them.

  • Flood and hurricane survivors and their hidden trauma
  • How hurricanes affect low-income neighborhoods
  • Trafficking- How it affects a society’s social well-being
  • Unreported abuse cases in homes and how they promote violence
  • Social, health, and psychological implications of the abortion ban for rape victims
  • Why the community should enhance awareness of AIDS stigmatization
  • Therapy continuous cycle- Why a therapist requires therapy
  • The unnoticed and hidden trauma among therapists and counselors
  • How court-sanctioned confinement promotes mental illness instead of facilitating correlation
  • How to address violence- Is it a social problem in the correctional system?
  • Sexual health education- Is it vital for incarcerated women?
  • How social media affects a person’s mental health and well-being
  • The effectiveness of different types of therapy for treating mental health disorders.
  • The prevalence of Eating Disorders in developed countries.
  • The role of family dynamics in the development and treatment of Eating Disorders.
  • How do different cultures view mental health and mental illness?
  • Is there a link between creativity and mental illness?
  • Does psychiatric medication use lead to higher recovery rates from mental illness?
  • What are the most effective interventions for helping people with substance abuse problems?
  • How to deal with grief and loss?
  • How can we better support people with chronic physical health conditions?
  • Drug abuse- Is it increasing in low-income neighborhoods?
  • The negative impacts of incarceration on the imprisoned people’s psychological well-being
  • Reasons to investigate confinement and its dangers
  • Ways to help addicts facing high drug vulnerability
  • How cognitive-behavioral therapy enhances the relationship between social workers and their situations or environments
  • The health benefits of hypnosis on individuals
  • Why treatment is essential for less represented groups
  • Distinguishing undiagnosed depression and clinical depression
  • A qualitative investigation of dyslexia among adolescents
  • How empathy can enhance the social work sector
  • Why qualitative examination of foster homes for peace and child safety matters

These are controversial topics to consider in this academic field. Prepare to take a stance and defend it if you pick any of these social work project ideas.

Social Work Topics For Presentation

Maybe you want to include a presentation in your paper. That’s because social work is a practical field requiring some displays. Consider the following titles for your essay if you want to include a presentation.

  • What are Stockholm syndrome and its effects?
  • How to understand syndrome victims better
  • How incest affects homes
  • Investigating sexually violated kids
  • Why free healthcare matters in foster homes and low-income neighborhoods
  • How adult incarceration and juvenile delinquency affect society
  • Juvenile delinquency and trauma
  • LGBTQ+ children trauma and adolescent transitioning
  • Foster kids and neglect-syndrome
  • Why diversity matters in the social work sector
  • Social workers- Understanding their trauma
  • Foster parenting- What are the positive impacts?
  • Do foster homes create a safe space?
  • Foster parents and their roles in preventing violence
  • Social workers and their role in preventing drug abuse
  • The effects of domestic violence
  • Psychological violence and its damages
  • How spirituality affects techniques in social works
  • Social works and their historical development
  • Social work and its importance in schools
  • Why teenagers’ therapy matters
  • Exploring the challenges facing social workers in the forensics sector
  • Investigating the struggles facing the minority groups
  • Studying abuse and violence in middle-class homes
  • Why finance matters in social works sustenance
  • The impact of compassion fatigue
  • Modern social workers and their challenges
  • Drug abuse and its effects on children
  • Why inclusivity matters in social works
  • Same-sex relationships- Why they matter to a social worker
  • Why high schools need drug sensitization
  • Investigating depression stereotypes

Pick any of these ideas and use them to draft a paper that includes a presentation. Nevertheless, research your topic extensively to prepare a winning dissertation.

Interesting Social Work Topics

Some issues in social work draw more attention than others because they are unique. Here are such topics.

  • The impacts of pregnancy on teenage mothers
  • The increasing pressure and effects of social media on teenagers’ lives
  • How welfare systems relate to low-income neighborhoods
  • Why are rehabilitation centers are essential in America than carceral systems
  • How cultural beliefs and gender roles affect marriages
  • Low labor and its role in workplace abuse
  • How the increasing housing cost affects young millennials
  • The part of abortion bans on psychological issues
  • How birth control roles affect society negatively
  • How are teenagers, the general community, and school related?
  • Analyzing first-time menstrual experiences and their impact on teenage girls within foster homes
  • Wellness therapy and its sustainability
  • Investigating poverty prevalence in the American Deep South- How it prevents the growth
  • The implications of relationships on social workers’ interactions
  • The negative impact of conversion therapy on the LGBTQ+ community
  • How an inclusive and functional healthcare system enhances social growth
  • Shelter homes women- Investigating their life experiences
  • The prevalent racial disparity in food bank systems in America
  • Understanding social relegations and stigma of welfare mothers
  • Client-therapist relationship- Investigating psychiatric therapists and their work

These topics address relevant issues that society often neglects. Pick any idea in this category and explore it further through research and analysis.

Social Work Thesis Topics

Educators will ask you to write different papers when pursuing social work studies. A sociology thesis is among the documents you might write when pursuing a master’s or Ph.D. studies. Here are topics to consider for these papers.

  • Investigating expecting mothers’ postpartum depression
  • How interdependency differs from codependency among youth adults
  • Emotional unavailability in homes- Does it enhance codependency?
  • Codependency- Is it a displacement feature?
  • Foster kids and future attachment methods
  • Social work and disability disparity
  • Disability challenges facing the healthcare system
  • Compassion integration in social works
  • ADHD- What are the most common myths about it?
  • How emotionally immature parents affect their adult children psychologically
  • Drug addiction and treatment plans
  • Addressing challenges facing visually impaired students
  • Investigating foster homes and child abuse
  • The emotional impact of a transition into a nursing home
  • Exploring immigrant families and parenthood
  • The intricacies of child labor

These are exciting topics to consider for your social work thesis. Nevertheless, prepare adequate time and resources to investigate any of these titles to develop a paper that will earn you the best grade.

Get Professional Thesis Assistance

Perhaps, you have chosen a title but don’t have the skills or time to write a top-notch paper. Maybe you’ve never scored high grades on your report, and your professor or parent constantly reprimands you. In that case, you need help with your academic writing.

We offer fast, cheap, and some of the best dissertation services for college, university, and high school students. Our ENL and U.S writers are always ready to handle your project. Contact us now to get the best academic paper help online.

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199+ Social Work Research Topics [Updated 2024]

In the vast and dynamic field of social work, research plays a pivotal role in shaping interventions, policies, and practices. Social work research is not just an academic pursuit but a powerful tool for effecting positive change in communities. As aspiring researchers delve into this realm, the journey begins with a crucial decision – selecting the right social work research topic.

In this blog, we will explore the significance of choosing the right social work research topics, provide insights into the selection process, highlight popular research areas, discuss emerging trends, offer tips for conducting research, and share valuable resources for social work researchers.

Significance of Choosing the Right Social Work Research Topics

Table of Contents

Impact on Research Quality

The choice of a research topic significantly influences the quality and relevance of the research conducted. A well-chosen topic enhances the researcher’s ability to contribute meaningfully to the existing body of knowledge in social work.

Alignment with Personal Interests and Goals

Selecting a topic aligned with personal interests and career goals fosters a sense of passion and commitment. This alignment not only sustains the researcher’s enthusiasm throughout the process but also increases the likelihood of producing impactful research.

Contribution to the Field of Social Work

The right research topic has the potential to contribute to the broader field of social work by addressing pressing issues, proposing innovative solutions, and advancing our understanding of complex social dynamics.

How to Select Social Work Research Topics?

  • Understanding the Scope of Social Work: Social work is a multifaceted discipline that encompasses various domains such as mental health, child welfare, community development, and more. Prospective researchers should explore the diverse scopes within social work to identify areas that resonate with their interests and expertise.
  • Identifying Personal Interests and Passion: Passion fuels research endeavors. Researchers should reflect on their personal experiences, values, and interests to identify areas within social work that evoke a strong sense of commitment.
  • Considering Relevance to Current Social Issues: Social work research gains significance when it addresses current societal challenges. Researchers should evaluate potential topics based on their relevance to contemporary issues, ensuring that the findings can contribute meaningfully to ongoing dialogues and efforts for social change.

199+ Social Work Research Topics: Category-Wise

Mental health and social work.

  • The impact of community support on mental health outcomes.
  • Examining the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in social work.
  • Exploring stigma surrounding mental health in diverse populations.
  • Integrating technology in mental health counseling: Challenges and opportunities.
  • The role of social work in preventing suicide and self-harm.

Diversity and Inclusion in Social Work

  • LGBTQ+ inclusivity in social work practice.
  • Addressing microaggressions and bias in social work interactions.
  • Promoting cultural competence in social work education.
  • Exploring challenges faced by immigrants and refugees in accessing social services.
  • Intersectionality in social work: Understanding and addressing multiple identities.

Social Work and Community Development

  • Evaluating the impact of community gardens on neighborhood well-being.
  • The role of social workers in disaster response and recovery.
  • Strategies for combating homelessness and housing insecurity.
  • Assessing the effectiveness of community-based participatory research in social work.
  • Social work’s contribution to sustainable community development.

Social Work and Child Welfare

  • Investigating the long-term outcomes of children in foster care.
  • The impact of parental substance abuse on child welfare.
  • Exploring cultural competence in child welfare services.
  • Innovative approaches to supporting kinship care families.
  • Assessing the effectiveness of early intervention programs for at-risk children.

Global Perspectives in Social Work Research

  • Cross-cultural perspectives on social work ethics.
  • Human rights and social work: An international comparison.
  • The role of social work in addressing global health disparities.
  • Social work responses to forced migration and refugee crises.
  • Comparative analysis of social work systems in different countries.

Technology and Social Work

  • Ethical considerations in the use of artificial intelligence in social work.
  • Online therapy and its implications for the future of social work.
  • Integrating telehealth in social work practice: Challenges and benefits.
  • Cyberbullying and the role of social workers in prevention and intervention.
  • The impact of social media on social work advocacy.

Policy and Advocacy in Social Work

  • Analyzing the impact of welfare reform on vulnerable populations.
  • Social work advocacy for criminal justice reform.
  • The role of social workers in shaping healthcare policies.
  • Addressing disparities in access to education through social work policy.
  • Environmental justice and the role of social work in sustainability.

Substance Abuse and Addiction in Social Work

  • Harm reduction strategies in social work practice.
  • Supporting families affected by substance abuse: A social work perspective.
  • Exploring the intersection of trauma and addiction in social work.
  • Assessing the effectiveness of drug prevention programs in schools.
  • The role of social workers in opioid addiction treatment.

Gerontology and Aging in Social Work

  • Aging in place: Examining the role of social work in supporting seniors at home.
  • Social isolation and mental health in the elderly population.
  • Addressing elder abuse: Strategies for prevention and intervention.
  • Palliative care and the role of social workers in end-of-life care.
  • The impact of dementia on families and the role of social work support.

Education and Social Work

  • The role of school social workers in addressing student mental health.
  • Inclusive education: Social work interventions for students with disabilities.
  • Bullying prevention programs in schools: A social work perspective.
  • Examining the impact of teacher-student relationships on academic outcomes.
  • Social work support for students experiencing homelessness.

Human Trafficking and Exploitation

  • Human trafficking prevention and intervention strategies in social work.
  • The role of social workers in supporting survivors of human trafficking.
  • Addressing labor exploitation through social work advocacy.
  • Intersectionality and human trafficking: A comprehensive approach.
  • Assessing the effectiveness of anti-trafficking policies and programs.

Family Dynamics and Social Work

  • Impact of divorce and separation on children: Social work interventions.
  • Foster care reunification: Challenges and success factors.
  • LGBTQ+ parenting and the role of social work in family support.
  • Domestic violence prevention programs: A social work perspective.
  • Blended families: Navigating challenges and fostering resilience.

Health and Healthcare Disparities

  • Social determinants of health and their impact on vulnerable populations.
  • Access to healthcare for underserved communities: A social work perspective.
  • The role of social workers in supporting individuals with chronic illnesses.
  • Reducing health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities through social work interventions.
  • Palliative care and the psychosocial aspects of terminal illness.

Human Rights and Social Work

  • Social work advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.
  • Promoting gender equality through social work initiatives.
  • Indigenous rights and the role of social workers in reconciliation.
  • Advocacy for the rights of people with disabilities: A social work perspective.
  • Social work responses to human rights violations and social justice issues.

Disability and Inclusion

  • Social work interventions for children with developmental disabilities.
  • The impact of inclusive employment programs on individuals with disabilities.
  • Accessibility and social work advocacy for people with physical disabilities.
  • Autism spectrum disorder: Social work support for individuals and families.
  • Inclusive recreation programs: Enhancing the lives of people with disabilities.

Veterans and Military Social Work

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the role of social workers in veteran support.
  • Social work interventions for military families experiencing deployment stress.
  • Transitioning from military to civilian life: Challenges and opportunities.
  • The impact of substance abuse on veterans and social work prevention strategies.
  • Access to mental health services for veterans: A social work perspective.

Community Mental Health Programs

  • Evaluating the effectiveness of community mental health clinics.
  • Peer support programs in community mental health: A social work approach.
  • Social work interventions for reducing stigma around mental illness in communities.
  • Integrating mental health into primary care settings through collaborative care approaches.
  • Social workers’ roles in school-based mental health initiatives.

Immigration and Social Work

  • Social work responds to populations of immigrants and refugees’ mental health issues.
  • The effect of immigration laws on social service accessibility.
  • Community integration and social work support for immigrants.
  • Advocacy for immigrant rights: A social work perspective.
  • Family reunification and the role of social workers in immigration processes.

Social Work in Rural Communities

  • Access to healthcare in rural communities: Social work interventions.
  • Substance abuse prevention in rural settings: Challenges and solutions.
  • Community development strategies for promoting rural well-being.
  • Addressing mental health disparities in rural populations: A social work approach.
  • Social work support for families facing economic challenges in rural areas.

Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice

  • Integrating trauma-informed care into social work practice.
  • Addressing childhood trauma through school-based interventions.
  • Trauma-focused therapies and their application in social work.
  • Vicarious trauma and self-care strategies for social workers.
  • The role of social workers in supporting survivors of sexual assault.

Social Work in Schools

  • School-based bullying prevention programs: A social work perspective.
  • Social work interventions for students with learning disabilities.
  • The impact of school social workers on academic success.
  • Mental health support for at-risk youth in school settings.
  • The role of social workers in addressing the school-to-prison pipeline.

Criminal Justice and Social Work

  • Reentry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals: A social work approach.
  • Juvenile justice and the role of social workers in rehabilitation.
  • Addressing racial disparities in the criminal justice system: A social work perspective.
  • The impact of incarceration on families and social work support.

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

  • Principles and applications of community-based participatory research in social work.
  • Engaging communities in the research process: A CBPR approach.
  • Evaluating the outcomes of community-based interventions using CBPR.
  • Challenges and opportunities in implementing CBPR in diverse settings.
  • Empowering communities through CBPR: Case studies and best practices.

Social Work and Environmental Justice

  • Climate change and its impact on vulnerable populations: A social work perspective.
  • Environmental justice and community organizing: Social work interventions.
  • Sustainable community development and the role of social workers.
  • Access to clean water and sanitation: A social work advocacy approach.
  • Indigenous perspectives on environmental justice: A social work lens.

Human Services Administration

  • Leadership styles in human services administration: A social work perspective.
  • The role of technology in improving human services delivery.
  • Strategies for effective human services program evaluation.
  • Addressing burnout and promoting self-care in human services organizations.
  • Social work ethics and decision-making in human services administration.

Social Work and Artificial Intelligence

  • Applications of AI in social work practice: Opportunities and challenges.
  • The role of chatbots in mental health support: A social work perspective.
  • Bias and fairness in algorithmic decision-making in social work.
  • Human-AI collaboration in social work: Enhancing service delivery.

Crisis Intervention and Social Work

  • Social work responses to natural disasters: Lessons learned and best practices.
  • Crisis intervention strategies for individuals experiencing acute trauma.
  • The role of social workers in emergency shelters and disaster recovery.
  • Trauma-informed care in crisis intervention: A social work approach.
  • Collaborative approaches to crisis intervention in community settings.

Social Work in the LGBTQ+ Community

  • LGBTQ+ youth homelessness: Social work interventions and prevention.
  • Supporting transgender and non-binary individuals in social work practice.
  • Mental health disparities in the LGBTQ+ community: A social work perspective.
  • LGBTQ+ inclusive policies in social service organizations.
  • Social work advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and equal access to services.

Social Work and Aging

  • Aging in place: Social work interventions for promoting independence.
  • Social work support for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their families.
  • End-of-life decision-making and the role of social workers.
  • Social isolation among older adults: Strategies for prevention and intervention.
  • Exploring innovative housing models for aging populations.

Faith-Based Social Work

  • The intersection of faith and social work: Ethical considerations.
  • Faith-based organizations in community development: A social work perspective.
  • Pastoral care and counseling: Social work support in religious communities.
  • Addressing religious discrimination in social work practice.
  • Interfaith dialogue and its role in fostering social cohesion: A social work approach.

Social Work in Substance Use Prevention

  • Social work interventions for preventing substance use among adolescents.
  • The impact of early childhood experiences on later substance use: A social work perspective.
  • Prevention programs targeting high-risk populations: A social work approach.
  • Social work support for families affected by parental substance use.
  • Community-based strategies for preventing opioid misuse: A social work lens.

Global Mental Health and Social Work

  • Cultural considerations in global mental health: A social work approach.
  • Collaborative approaches to addressing mental health stigma globally.
  • The role of social workers in disaster mental health response internationally.
  • Integrating traditional healing practices into global mental health interventions.
  • Comparative analysis of mental health policies and services worldwide.

Social Work and Human-Animal Interaction

  • Animal-assisted therapy in social work practice: Applications and benefits.
  • The role of therapy animals in reducing stress and promoting well-being.
  • Animal cruelty prevention and the role of social workers.
  • The impact of pet ownership on mental health: A social work perspective.
  • Ethical considerations in incorporating animals into social work interventions.

Refugee Mental Health and Social Work

  • Trauma-informed approaches in working with refugee populations.
  • Social work support for refugee children in educational settings.
  • Addressing mental health disparities among refugee communities.
  • Cultural competence in providing mental health services to refugees.
  • Resettlement challenges and social work interventions for refugees.

Community Resilience and Social Work

  • Building community resilience in the face of adversity: A social work perspective.
  • Social work interventions for promoting resilience in vulnerable populations.
  • Resilience-based mental health programs in schools: A social work approach.
  • The role of social workers in disaster resilience planning.
  • Collective trauma and community healing: A social work lens.

Technology and Social Work Ethics

  • Ethical considerations in the use of social media in social work practice.
  • Privacy and confidentiality in the age of digital record-keeping.
  • Ensuring equity in access to technology-based interventions: A social work approach.
  • Social work responses to cyberbullying: Prevention and intervention strategies.
  • Ethical guidelines for the use of virtual reality in social work practice.

Social Work in Sports

  • Sports-based youth development programs: A social work perspective.
  • The role of social workers in promoting mental health in athletes.
  • Addressing substance use and performance-enhancing drugs in sports: A social work lens.
  • Inclusive sports programs for individuals with disabilities: A social work approach.
  • Social work interventions for preventing and addressing sports-related violence.

Social Work in the Arts

  • Arts-based interventions in social work practice: Applications and outcomes.
  • The role of creative expression in trauma recovery: A social work perspective.
  • Using theater and performance arts in social work education and therapy.
  • Arts programs for at-risk youth: A social work approach.
  • The impact of the arts on community well-being: A social work lens.

Social Work and Foster Care Adoption

  • Social work interventions for successful foster care reunification.
  • Addressing the unique needs of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care.
  • The impact of foster care placement on child development: A social work perspective.
  • Post-adoption support services: A social work approach.
  • Cultural competence in transracial and transcultural foster care and adoption.

Social Work in the Gig Economy

  • The Role of Social Work in Addressing Mental Health Challenges in the Gig Economy
  • Exploring Social Work Strategies for Supporting Gig Workers’ Financial Stability
  • Gig Economy and Social Work Advocacy: Ensuring Fair Labor Practices
  • Navigating Occupational Hazards: Social Work Interventions in Gig Work Environments
  • Social Work’s Contribution to Promoting Work-Life Balance in the Gig Economy

Emerging Trends in Social Work Research

  • The Impact of Technology on Social Work Practice: Examine how technology is influencing social work practices and service delivery, considering both advantages and ethical considerations.
  • Ethical Considerations in the Use of Technology in Social Work Research: Discuss the ethical challenges associated with the integration of technology in social work research and propose guidelines for responsible use.
  • Cross-Cultural Studies in Social Work: Explore the significance of cross-cultural studies in social work research, promoting a deeper understanding of diverse cultural contexts.
  • Addressing Global Social Issues through Research: Investigate how social work research can contribute to addressing global social challenges, such as poverty, migration, and climate change.

Tips for Conducting Social Work Research

Developing a Research Question

Craft a research question for social work research topics that is clear, concise, and aligns with the chosen social work research topic. The question should guide the research process and contribute meaningfully to the existing literature.

Choosing Appropriate Research Methods

Select research methods that align with the nature of the research question and the goals of the study. Consider whether qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches are most suitable for addressing the research objectives.

Ethical Considerations in Social Work Research

Prioritize ethical considerations throughout the research process. Ensure informed consent, confidentiality, and respect for the dignity and rights of research participants.

Resources for Social Work Researchers

Journals and Publications

Explore reputable social work journals and publications to stay updated on the latest research, methodologies, and findings. Examples include the “Journal of Social Work” and the “British Journal of Social Work.”

Professional Organizations

Joining professional organizations such as the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) provides access to valuable resources, networking opportunities, and conferences that enhance a researcher’s knowledge and skills.

Online Databases and Research Tools

Utilize online databases like PubMed , Social Work Abstracts, and Google Scholar to access a wide range of social work research articles. Additionally, familiarize yourself with research tools and software that can streamline the research process.

In conclusion, the journey of selecting the social work research topics is a crucial step that requires thoughtful consideration and reflection. The chosen topic should align with personal interests, address current social issues, and contribute meaningfully to the field of social work. 

As researchers embark on this journey, they have the opportunity to explore diverse areas, from mental health and child welfare to emerging trends in technology and global perspectives. 

By following ethical guidelines, employing appropriate research methods, and leveraging valuable resources, social work researchers can make significant contributions to improving the well-being of individuals and communities.

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Social Work Research Topics

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Table of contents

  • 1 What is a Social Work Research Paper?
  • 2 Tips for Selecting a Good Topic for a Social Work Research Paper
  • 3.1 Social Work Research Topics for Beginners
  • 3.2 Social Work Research Topics for College Students
  • 3.3 Human Services Research Paper Topics
  • 3.4 Interesting Social Work Research Paper Topics
  • 3.5 Controversial Social Work Research Paper Topics
  • 3.6 Social Work Thesis Topics
  • 3.7 Critical Social Work Research Paper
  • 3.8 Disputable Social Work Research Topics
  • 3.9 Social Work Topics for Presentation
  • 3.10 Social Work Research Paper for Literature Review

With these topics in mind, you can explore further into the field of social work and gain a better understanding of how research can help shape our society for the better. Read on to learn what is a social research paper, review helpful tips to select one, and explore a list of the 100 best social work research topics ideas.

What is a Social Work Research Paper?

A social work research paper is a document that presents facts, analysis, and research findings about a particular social work topic. Students often find it overwhelming to find the best social work topics for their research papers. Also, it’s not always possible to buy research paper and avoid the investigation altogether. Researching and writing about these topics can help students understand the causes of social issues and how to address them best.

It also provides insights into how to improve services for those who are most vulnerable and in need of assistance. The most popular social work research topics are those that treat issues of this kind, and they can be excellent as research papers.

However, focusing on the most popular research topics for social work is not the only option. It is important for students to analyze the topic they like and learn more about it. Even better if the work can somehow help solve a problem in their community. A research paper with factually accurate data and information can help you make your project look more engaging and informative. But it can also have an impact right away.

For these reasons, writing a research paper on social work can be a rewarding experience for students. It allows them to expand their knowledge along with developing a sense of empathy towards the community. Furthermore, it is important to select a topic that is relevant to the field of social work and provides enough scope for further exploration.

Tips for Selecting a Good Topic for a Social Work Research Paper

There are many topics in the field of social work that are important for understanding various aspects of social problems, their causes, and effective solutions. Research in this area can take many forms, including quantitative studies and qualitative interviews.

To write an effective social work paper, students should learn how to identify and assess topics that can add value to their project. Selecting topics that allow you to develop evidence-based interventions and include the necessary amount of information can be helpful. When selecting a topic, consider the various aspects of social work, such as its history, current trends, legal implications, and ethical considerations. Generally speaking, choose a topic that is flexible enough to conduct research and analysis.

Additionally, look for topics that allow you to focus on one particular area without getting overwhelmed by the amount of information available. Having access to adequate resources such as journals and books that provide in-depth information about your chosen topic is also helpful. Also, don’t forget to interview a social worker active in the field to have first-hand impressions. This will make it easier to select a good topic for your social work research paper.

You can also consider getting help for your research paper from professional writers. They can help you manage all aspects of the process, including choosing a suitable topic. In some cases, you can also get a “ write my research paper ” option. This allows you to get the job done by a professional or get a piece that you only have to fine-tune. Another piece of advice is to do a quick scan of available resources, both offline and online. Moreover, choose a unique and practical topic that differentiates you from other students.

Here are some additional tips to help you select a good topic for a social work research paper.

Read Extensively. Reading widely about a general topic that interests you is crucial. Consider writing down the ideas, information, and sources that interest you the most. You can then review the notes to select a topic. Consider your interests and expertise in the field of social work. If you are passionate about a particular topic or have prior experience in it, then this could be the perfect place to start your research. Doing quick research on each potential topic before choosing one will help you decide whether it’s worth writing.

Select a Relevant Topic. Make sure the topic you choose is relevant to the field of social work you intend to work on or you’ve been tasked to analyse. An irrelevant topic that does not have any connection with the subject will fail to interest the readers. This may lead to a dull paper or, if you’re a student, to a low mark or a fail. Select a topic related to social work application theories. Think about the latest trends in social work and identify topics that are currently being discussed or researched by other people. Explore different current events related to social work and determine if there is anything relevant that could be best for your paper.

Choose a Specific Topic .  A research topic that is too broad or too narrow can make it difficult to carry out research. If the topic is too wide, you may end up writing in general and not including the information that is necessary. Selecting a specific topic will allow you to conduct detailed research and provide reasonable arguments and solutions. With so many potential topics to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow down the choices and select one. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to make this process easier. Firstly, understand the context of your research paper and set specific goals to select a topic that is both meaningful and manageable.

Consider a Flexible Topic. Go with a topic that is flexible and allows you to conduct research and analysis. Find a unique topic that matches your field of interest and add value to your research paper. Choosing a flexible topic will help you provide real benefits to the readers. A flexible topic will provide you with numerous opportunities to explore different aspects of a particular issue or event. Additionally, by selecting a flexible topic that allows for multiple arguments and solutions, you can ensure that your paper is comprehensive and engaging.

Discuss With Others. Another great way to select a good social work topic for a research paper is by communicating with other students and researchers. You can also discuss it with your professors and learn about their opinions. By discussing with other students or professors, you can get different perspectives on potential topics and gain valuable insights. Moreover, talking to other people about their experiences in social work can help you discover your interest and select the best possible topic for your research paper .

Selecting a good topic for your social work research paper may feel overwhelming. With careful thought and consideration, you can find a relevant and appropriate one for the paper. To help you in this process, here is a broad list of social work research topics.

Social Work Research Topics for Beginners

Social work research papers are a great way to explain the complex issues affecting individuals, families, and communities. Newcomers can still write a persuasive research paper in this field by sharing their own experiences.

If you are a beginner, then the following research topics for social work can be best for you:

  • The impacts that clinical depression has on adolescents
  • Impact of alcoholism on family members and personal lifestyle
  • Hardships and happiness in adopting a teenager
  • How to become social workers? What are the legal requirements?
  • Why do we need more women leaders in our community?
  • Why it’s important to raise awareness to stop domestic violence?
  • The importance of women denouncing domestic violence
  • The effects of alcohol on a person’s behavior and sociality
  • Depression and society: stigmas and stereotypes
  • The best strategies for ensuring the health and basic education for every child

Social Work Research Topics for College Students

College students can benefit from performing in-depth research on a specific topic and applying theories, concepts, and principles of social work in their research papers. To help you select a specific topic of your interest, here are some popular ones in the field of social work:

  • Possible solutions to limit child abuse in society
  • How to fight the bullying of disabled children
  • Effects of domestic violence on family members
  • Raising a child as a single parent: challenges and strategies
  • Helping bipolar patients: effective strategies
  • How divorce impacts children’s lifestyle and upbringing
  • Reasons and prevention of the increase in suicide rates among students
  • Drugs abuse among teenagers: an insight
  • The impact of interracial adoption on children’s development
  • Fighting human trafficking: strategies and issues

There are a few common problems that may arise when writing a social work research paper, such as difficulty in finding relevant sources, inability to properly structure the paper or difficulty in staying focused on the topic.

Human Services Research Paper Topics

Students interested in delivering care and support to individuals or communities in need can select a human services topic for their research paper. You can find a topic related to helping empower people, providing guidance in their everyday lives, or offering resources to meet their needs.

Here are a few example topics that you may select:

  • An essay on homophobia
  • Causes and impacts of child trafficking
  • Effective ways to deal with depression and anxiety among students
  • Impact of unemployment on the society
  • How to prevent the most common causes of depression among teenagers
  • Gender disparity and incarceration: an overview
  • Effect of feminism throughout the ages
  • How does racism affect society?
  • The importance of freedom of speech
  • Social structure for disabled people

Interesting Social Work Research Paper Topics

While the following social work research topics list will help you find a good topic, communicating with experts in this field is also helpful. Consider choosing a topic that will make an impact on society and provide value to your audience.

  • How does parental drug use impact children?
  • Changing career to social work: what does it take?
  • The development of social work throughout the history
  • Women and alcohol
  • What are the benefits of free education?
  • Why should the educational system be accessible to everyone?
  • Abortion: history and modern thoughts
  • Is feminism a plot of modern society?
  • Effective ways to decrease criminal activities
  • The influence of war and peace on children’s minds

Controversial Social Work Research Paper Topics

It is important to note that the following research paper topics may be controversial and complex. Approaching controversial research topics with sensitivity and conducting thorough research before drawing any conclusions can help you write a good research paper .

  • Does the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy enhance the lives of jailed people’s lives?
  • What do people think about war in our peaceful times?
  • Racial profiling for criminal cases: is it really effective?
  • Impact of abortion on women
  • The importance of receiving family support for LGBT teenagers
  • Effects of community on the mental health of minorities
  • Depression: Major symptoms and causes
  • How the criminal justice system benefits from social workers
  • Preventing suicide in schools: understanding reasons and finding solutions
  • Does poverty affect your mental health?

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Social Work Thesis Topics

A social work thesis is a research paper that focuses on a specific topic related to social work practice. A good thesis can demonstrate your ability to conduct independent research and apply theoretical concepts to address various social work issues and causes.

Explore this list to find a suitable topic for your social work thesis:

  • Conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ individuals: definition and effects
  • Use of medication in treating mental health disorders
  • How does social media affect mental health?
  • Immigration policies: Impact on families and children
  • Race and racism affecting mental health
  • Restorative justice programs in the criminal justice system
  • Police brutality on communities of color
  • The impact of climate change on vulnerable populations
  • Strategies social workers can use to address income inequality
  • Healing from domestic violence: Tips and advice

Critical Social Work Research Paper

If you want to focus on ongoing critical issues in this field then here are a few interesting topics for you:

  • Effectiveness of therapy and why it works for some.
  • Mindfulness and its importance in the process of recovery
  • The effectiveness of wellness therapy
  • Is mental health neglected in low-income and poor households
  • Social integration of individuals with Down syndrome
  • Everything about drug rehabilitation programs
  • The impact of psychological abuse in promoting low self-esteem
  • The current role of government in improving welfare conditions
  • How does stress response in children with autism work?
  • In-depth analysis of children raised in abusive homes

Disputable Social Work Research Topics

By writing on disputable social issues essay topics , you can explain the current state of society and an important way to raise awareness on a variety of issues. From racism to gender inequality, there are plenty of topics that can be explored in a research paper. Before you start writing, gain insight into why certain disputable problems exist and explore potential solutions.

Here is a list of disputable research topics for social work:

  • Why some people become shopaholics
  • Best ways to improve the participation of adolescents in the development of the local community
  • What’s the effect of welfare policies in fighting poverty
  • A report on AIDS caregivers and their experience
  • Best practices to improve the health system in rural areas
  • What is fuelling racism on a global level?
  • Couple therapy in building relationships: Pros and cons
  • Addressing workplace violence: Steps for leaders and managers
  • An overview of social problems faced by autistic children
  • How income and behavioral health are connected

Social Work Topics for Presentation

You can make your presentation more engaging by adding relevant graphs, charts, or images. Start by selecting and researching a topic that is relevant to your audience. The following list of social work topics to research can help you create an engaging presentation:

  • Child welfare and protection
  • Immigration and refugees
  • Community development and empowerment
  • Mental health services and support
  • LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy
  • Aging and elder care
  • Homelessness and housing insecurity
  • Domestic violence and abuse
  • Disability rights and services
  • Social work integration in healthcare services

Social Work Research Paper for Literature Review

A  literature review should be written in a way that covers the most recent and relevant research in the field. Here are some common social work topics suitable for a literature review:

  • Understanding the significance of poverty on child development
  • Evidence-based practices in substance abuse treatment
  • Nutrition assistance programs
  • Juvenile justice system
  • Research on the gender pay gap
  • Why do some people experience homelessness?
  • The importance of early childhood education
  • Benefits of career counseling
  • Educational achievements of childcare in America
  • Welfare programs for immigrants

One of the most pressing challenges of social work researchers is finding reliable and relevant sources for their work. Online essay writers can be a great asset in this regard, as they can provide reliable information backed up by research and data. Furthermore, they can also provide creative and thoughtful insights into the topic at hand, making them invaluable resources for social work research.

While selecting a good social work topic can be challenging, the above-mentioned lists can help you write a good research paper. Once you select a topic, make sure it is relevant, interesting, and appropriate for your task or purpose.

From researching existing materials on your chosen topic to considering the scope of the project in terms of current trends in social work, there are a few things that will make your social work research paper stand out from others. Now that you have a comprehensive list of topics, you’re ready to find the best one for your needs and write a convincing and data-driven research paper for your audience.

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225 Social Work Research Topics For College Students – Ideas for College Students

Social work is an important job that helps improve people’s lives, families, and communities. Research is a key part of social work studies. It allows you to look deeply into social issues, understand different views, and contribute to the growing knowledge in this field. 

Picking the right research topic can be tough. That’s why we’ve made a list of 225 interesting social work research topics. These topics cover many areas, such as child welfare, mental health, addiction, community development, and social justice. 

This list is meant to give you ideas, make you think critically, and provide knowledge to help make a real difference in social work.

Importance of Choosing a Relevant Topic

Table of Contents

Picking a good research topic is super important for a few reasons. First, it makes sure your research fits with current issues and trends in social work. By choosing a topic that deals with challenges happening now or builds on existing knowledge, you can contribute to ongoing talks and help develop effective solutions and rules.

Also, a good topic increases the chances that your research findings will be helpful to social workers, policymakers, and communities. Social work directly impacts people’s lives, and by researching important matters, you can potentially create positive change and inform decision-making.

Furthermore, a well-chosen topic can keep you motivated and involved throughout the research process. When you are truly interested and passionate about the subject, you are more likely to approach the research with enthusiasm and hard work, leading to better results.

It is also important to consider if there are enough resources and data available for your chosen topic. Selecting a topic with plenty of existing writings, reliable data sources, and people to research can make the process smoother and increase the credibility of your findings.

Moreover, a good topic can open up opportunities to collaborate with organizations, agencies, or communities actively working in that area, providing opportunities to apply your research and further explore the subject matter.

Recommended Readings: “ Data Communication And Networking Micro Project Topics: Amazing Guide! “.

Top 225 Social Work Research Topics For College Students

Here is the list of the top 225 social work research topics for college students according to different categories; take a look.

Child Well-being

  • How foster care affects child growth
  • Adoption and its effect on families
  • Ways to prevent child abuse
  • Role of social workers in child protection services
  • Struggles faced by children in foster care
  • Importance of keeping families together
  • Impact of parental imprisonment on children
  • Strengths of kinship care arrangements
  • Role of social workers in addressing child poverty
  • Helping strategies for children with special needs

Mental Health

      11. How common is depression in teens, and how to treat it

  • If cognitive-behavioral therapy works for anxiety issues
  • How trauma impacts mental health
  • Social workers’ role in suicide prevention
  • Reducing stigma around mental illness
  • Culturally appropriate mental health services
  • Substance abuse treatment and recovery programs
  • Impact of social media on mental health
  • Addressing the mental health needs of LGBTQ+ individuals
  • If group therapy is effective for mental health conditions

Elderly Care

      21. Challenges faced by caregivers of older adults

  • Impact of loneliness on the elderly
  • Addressing elder abuse and neglect
  • Role of social workers in long-term care facilities
  • Promoting independent living for older adults
  • End-of-life care and advance directives
  • Caring for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia
  • Retirement planning and financial security for seniors
  • Benefits of intergenerational programs
  • Strategies for aging in place

Disability Services

      31. Accessibility and inclusion for disabled individuals

  • Job opportunities and challenges for the disabled
  • How assistive tech impacts daily living
  • Social workers’ role in special education settings
  • Advocating for disability rights and awareness
  • Housing and community living options for the disabled
  • Transition planning for youth with disabilities
  • Mental health needs of the disabled
  • Inclusive recreation and leisure activities
  • Disability and intersectionality (race, gender, economic status)

Substance Abuse

      41. If harm reduction approaches are effective

  • Addressing the opioid epidemic
  • Social workers’ role in addiction treatment centers
  • Relapse prevention strategies
  • How substance abuse impacts families
  • Culturally responsive substance abuse interventions
  • Role of peer support groups in recovery
  • Addressing co-occurring substance abuse and mental health issues
  • Prevention strategies for teen substance abuse
  • Impact of harm reduction policies on public health

Community Development

      51. Strategies for community empowerment and engagement

  • Social workers’ role in urban renewal projects
  • Addressing food insecurity and food deserts
  • Community-based participatory research methods
  • Sustainable development and environmental justice
  • Promoting social cohesion and inclusion in diverse communities
  • Addressing gentrification and displacement
  • Social workers’ role in disaster relief and recovery
  • Impact of community-based organizations
  • Addressing homelessness and housing insecurity

Criminal Justice

      61. If restorative justice practices are effective

  • Social Workers’ role in the juvenile justice System
  • Prisoner re-entry and reducing repeat offenses
  • Impact of incarceration on families and communities
  • Addressing racial disparities in criminal justice
  • Victim support services and victim-centered approaches
  • Diversion programs and alternatives to incarceration
  • Needs of incarcerated individuals with mental health issues
  • Restorative justice practices in schools
  • Impact of criminal records on jobs and housing

Immigration and Refugees

      71. Integration challenges for immigrants and refugees

  • Social workers’ role in refugee resettlement programs
  • Addressing the needs of undocumented immigrants
  • Cultural competence when working with immigrants/refugees
  • Impact of immigration policies on families and communities
  • Addressing trauma and mental health needs of refugees
  • Language barriers and service access for immigrants
  • Immigrant and refugee youth: Challenges and opportunities
  • Promoting inclusion and combating discrimination
  • Social workers’ role in immigration detention centers

Health Care

      81. Addressing health disparities and social factors affecting health

  • Social workers’ role in hospitals
  • Patient advocacy and navigating healthcare systems
  • Chronic illness management and support services
  • Addressing the needs of underserved populations in healthcare
  • End-of-life care and palliative services
  • Mental health needs of healthcare professionals
  • Promoting health literacy and patient education
  • COVID-19 impact on vulnerable groups
  • Telehealth and its implications for social work

School Social Work

      91. Addressing bullying and school violence

  • Supporting students with special needs
  • Promoting a positive school environment
  • How poverty impacts student achievement
  • Trauma-informed practices in schools
  • Supporting LGBTQ+ students and inclusive environments
  • Addressing students’ mental health needs
  • Dropout prevention and intervention
  • Promoting social-emotional learning in schools
  • Collaboration between school social workers and other staff

Human Services

      101. Addressing homelessness and housing insecurity

  • Social workers’ role in domestic violence shelters
  • Poverty reduction and economic empowerment programs
  • Addressing the needs of veterans and families
  • Natural disaster impact on vulnerable groups
  • Promoting financial literacy and self-sufficiency
  • Addressing food insecurity and hunger
  • Social workers’ role in crisis intervention and emergencies
  • Addressing the needs of the developmentally disabled

Social Policy

      111.     Analyzing the impact of social welfare policies

  • Social workers’ role in policy advocacy and lobbying
  • Addressing income inequality and wealth gaps
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of social programs
  • Ethics in Social Policy Development
  • Comparing social welfare systems across countries
  • Climate change impact on vulnerable groups
  • Social workers’ role in sustainable development
  • Impact of austerity measures on social services
  • Addressing the digital divide and technology access

Human Rights

      121.     Addressing human trafficking and modern slavery

  • Social workers’ role in promoting human rights
  • Addressing the needs of refugees and displaced persons
  • Promoting the rights of indigenous communities
  • Addressing gender-based violence and discrimination
  • Promoting the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals
  • Impact of armed conflicts on civilians
  • Promoting children’s rights and protection
  • Environmental degradation impact on human rights
  • Social workers promoting human rights education

Aging and Elderly Care

      131.     Addressing ageism and promoting positive aging

  • Social workers’ role in long-term care facilities
  • Promoting aging in place and community services
  • Addressing the needs of caregivers for the elderly
  • Financial security and retirement planning for seniors
  • Addressing loneliness among the elderly
  • Promoting intergenerational activities
  • Addressing dementia and Alzheimer’s impact
  • Promoting advance care planning and end-of-life care

Family and Marriage Counseling

      141.     Addressing domestic violence and partner violence

  • Social workers’ role in family/marriage counseling
  • Divorce impact on children and families
  • Promoting healthy family communication and conflict resolution
  • Addressing the needs of blended and non-traditional families
  • Promoting positive co-parenting strategies
  • Addiction impact on families
  • Promoting financial stability for families
  • Addressing the needs of military families
  • Promoting family resilience and coping

Diversity and Social Justice

      151.     Addressing racial/ethnic disparities in social services

  • Promoting cultural competence in social work
  • Addressing discrimination and promoting inclusion
  • Promoting social justice and human rights
  • Addressing the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals and families
  • Promoting intersectional approaches to social work
  • Addressing systemic oppression and marginalization impact
  • Promoting diversity and inclusion in social work education
  • Addressing the needs of the disabled
  • Anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work

Community Mental Health

      161.     Addressing trauma’s impact on communities

  • Social workers’ role in community mental health centers
  • Promoting mental health literacy and reducing stigma
  • Addressing the mental health needs of specific groups
  • Promoting community-based mental health services
  • Poverty and social factors impact mental health
  • Promoting peer support and self-help for mental health
  • Addressing youth and teen mental health needs
  • Promoting mental health in schools and education
  • COVID-19 impact on community mental health

Addictions and Substance Abuse

      171.     Addressing the opioid crisis and overdose prevention

  • Social workers’ role in addiction treatment and recovery
  • Promoting harm reduction for substance abuse
  • Substance abuse impact on families and communities
  • Culturally responsive addiction services
  • Co-occurring substance abuse and mental health issues
  • Promoting peer support in addiction recovery
  • Unique needs of women and substance abuse
  • Substance abuse prevention and early intervention
  • Impact of cannabis legalization

Social Work with Children & Youth

      181.    Addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

  • Social workers’ role in child welfare and protection
  • Promoting positive youth development and resilience
  • Addressing the needs of youth in juvenile justice
  • Promoting educational success and closing achievement gaps
  • Addressing bullying and school violence impact
  • Promoting youth empowerment and leadership
  • Addressing the needs of LGBTQ+ youth
  • Promoting family engagement and support
  • Technology and social media impact on youth

Human Behavior & Social Environment

      191.     Poverty and socioeconomic status impact

  • Promoting resilience and coping strategies
  • Addressing trauma and adverse experiences impact
  • Promoting positive identity and self-esteem
  • Discrimination and oppression impact
  • Promoting social support and community connections
  • Environmental factors impact human behavior
  • Promoting positive aging and life transitions
  • Technology and social media impact
  • Promoting cultural competence and humility

Social Work Practice & Ethics

      201.     Addressing ethical dilemmas in practice

  • Promoting self-care and preventing burnout
  • Social media and technology impact on practice
  • Promoting evidence-based practice
  • Addressing interdisciplinary collaboration challenges
  • Promoting culturally responsive practice
  • Addressing vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue
  • Social justice and human rights in practice
  • COVID-19 impact on social work practice
  • Promoting professional development

International Social Work 

      211.     Addressing global poverty and inequality

  • Promoting sustainable development & environmental justice
  • Armed conflicts and humanitarian crises impact
  • Promoting human rights and global social justice
  • Promoting community development and empowerment
  • Globalization and migration impact
  • Cultural competence in international social work
  • Promoting international collaboration

Research & Evaluation

      221.     Promoting evidence-based practice

  • Developing assessment tools and measures
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of interventions
  • Challenges in community-based participatory research
  • Promoting mixed methods in research

These topics cover a wide range of social work issues, allowing for in-depth exploration and analysis within specific niches.

Tips for Selecting a Research Topic

Picking a topic for research is an important first step. Your topic should be something you truly care about and want to explore deeply. Here are some tips for choosing an engaging and meaningful social work research topic:

Find Areas You Really Like

Make a list of the social issues or groups of people that you are most interested in. Think about personal experiences, volunteer work, internships, or classes that made you curious and want to learn more. Having a real interest will keep you motivated throughout the whole research process.

Look at Current Information

Look through recent journals, books, and reliable websites related to your interests. Note any gaps in knowledge or questions that come up from the existing information. These gaps can point you toward relevant research topics.

Consider Real-World Impact

Choose a topic that has the potential to inform policies, practices, or ways to help that can create positive social change. Research that can be applied in real-world situations is especially valuable in social work.

Make Sure Data Exists

Ensure there is enough data available to support an in-depth study of your chosen topic. This may include access to case studies, survey data, records, or people to participate in your research.

Narrow Your Focus

While social issues are often very broad and complex, a focused research topic is easier to manage and allows for deeper exploration. Narrow your topic to a specific population, geographic area, or part of the larger issue.

Get Input from Others

Talk to professors, professionals in the field, or experienced researchers for their insights and suggestions on potential topics. Their expertise can help you refine your ideas and identify promising areas for research.

Think About Ethics

As a social worker, it’s important to consider the ethical impacts of your research, such as protecting participants’ rights and well-being, addressing potential biases, and being sensitive to cultural differences.

Be Flexible

While it’s important to have a clear research focus, be open to adjusting your topic as you learn more from reading materials or encounter new perspectives during the research process.

Choosing a well-defined and meaningful research topic is the base for producing valuable social work research that can add to knowledge and drive positive change.

Social work covers a wide range of issues and groups of people, making it a rich and diverse area for research. The 225 topics listed here are just a small part of the many important areas ready for exploration. 

From child well-being and mental health to criminal justice and human rights, each topic offers a chance to examine complex societal challenges deeply and contribute to developing impactful solutions. 

As students start their research journeys, they have the potential to uncover new insights, challenge existing ways of thinking, and ultimately improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities. 

With genuine interest, hard work, and a commitment to ethical and rigorous research, social work students can make meaningful contributions that drive positive change in our constantly changing world.

How do I know if a research topic is relevant to social work?

A relevant research topic in social work addresses current societal issues, aligns with the goals of social work practice, and contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the field.

What are some examples of social work research topics related to social justice?

Examples include investigating disparities in access to healthcare, analyzing the impact of systemic racism on marginalized communities, and evaluating policies aimed at promoting social equity.

How can I narrow down a broad research topic in social work?

You can narrow down a broad research topic by focusing on a specific population, geographic location, or aspect of the issue. Conducting a literature review can also help identify gaps and areas for further exploration.

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Library Home

Scientific Inquiry in Social Work

(9 reviews)

social work topics to research

Matthew DeCarlo, Radford University

Copyright Year: 2018

ISBN 13: 9781975033729

Publisher: Open Social Work Education

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Shannon Blajeski, Assistant Professor, Portland State University on 3/10/23

This book provides an introduction to research and inquiry in social work with an applied focus geared for the MSW student. The text covers 16 chapters, including several dedicated to understanding how to begin the research process, a chapter on... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book provides an introduction to research and inquiry in social work with an applied focus geared for the MSW student. The text covers 16 chapters, including several dedicated to understanding how to begin the research process, a chapter on ethics, and then eight chapters dedicated to research methods. The subchapters (1-5 per chapter) are concise and focused while also being tied to current knowledge and events so as to hold the reader's attention. It is comprehensive, but some of the later chapters covering research methods as well as the final chapter seem a bit scant and could be expanded. The glossary at the end of each chapter is helpful as is the index that is always accessible from the left-hand drop-down menu.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The author pulls in relevant current and recent public events to illustrate important points about social research throughout the book. Each sub-chapter reads as accurate. I did not come across any inaccuracies in the text, however I would recommend a change in the title of Chapter 15 as "real world research" certainly encompasses more than program evaluation, single-subject designs, and action research.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Another major strength of this book is that it adds currency to engage the reader while also maintaining its relevance to research methods. None of the current events/recent events that are described seem dated nor will they fade from relevance in a number of years. In addition, the concise nature of the modules should make them easy to update when needed to maintain relevancy in future editions.

Clarity rating: 5

Clarity is a major strength of this textbook. As described in the interface section, this book is written to be clear and concise, without unnecessary extra text that detracts from the concise content provided in each chapter. Any lengthy excerpts are also very engaging which lends itself to a clear presentation of content for the reader.

Consistency rating: 5

The text and content seems to be presented consistently throughout the book. Terminology and frameworks are balanced with real-world examples and current events.

Modularity rating: 5

The chapters of this textbook are appropriately spaced and easily digestible, particularly for readers with time constraints. Each chapter contains 3-5 sub-chapters that build upon each other in a scaffolding style. This makes it simple for the instructor to assign each chapter (sometimes two) per weekly session as well as add in additional assigned readings to complement the text.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The overall organization of the chapters flow well. The book begins with a typical introduction to research aimed at social work practitioners or new students in social work. It then moves into a set of chapters on beginning a research project, reviewing literature, and asking research questions, followed by a chapter on ethics. Next, the text transitions to three chapters covering constructs, measurement, and sampling, followed by five chapters covering research methods, and a closing chapter on dissemination of research. This is one of the more logically-organized research methods texts that I have used as an instructor.

Interface rating: 5

The modular chapters are easy to navigate and the interface of each chapter follows a standard presentation style with the reading followed by a short vocabulary glossary and references. This presentation lends itself to a familiarity for students that helps them become more efficient with completing reading assignments, even in short bursts of time. This is particularly important for online and returning learners who may juggle their assignment time with family and work obligations.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors were noted.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

At first glance at the table of contents, the book doesn't seem to be overtly committed to cultural representation, however, upon reading the chapters, it becomes clear that the author does try to represent and reference marginalized groups (e.g., women, individuals with disabilities, racial/ethnic/gender intersectionality) within the examples used. I also am very appreciative that the bottom of each introduction page for each chapter contains content trigger warnings for any possible topics that could be upsetting, e.g., substance abuse, violence.

As the author likely knows, social work students are eager to engage in learning that is current and relevant to their social causes. This book is written in a way that engages a non-researcher social worker into reading about research by weaving research information into topics that they might find compelling. It also does this in a concise way where short bits of pertinent information are presented, making the text accessible without needing to sustain long periods of attention. This is particularly important for online and returning learners who may need to sit with their readings in short bursts due to attending school while juggling work and family obligations.

Reviewed by Lynn Goerdt, Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin - Superior on 9/17/21

Text appears to be comprehensive in covering steps for typical SWK research class, taking students from the introduction of the purpose and importance of research to how to design and analyze research. Author covers the multitude of ways that... read more

Text appears to be comprehensive in covering steps for typical SWK research class, taking students from the introduction of the purpose and importance of research to how to design and analyze research. Author covers the multitude of ways that social workers engage in research as way of building knowledge and ways that social work practitioners conduct research to evaluate their practice, including outcome evaluation, single subject design, and action research. I particularly appreciated the last section on reporting research, which should be very practical.

Overall, content appears mostly accurate which few errors. Definitions and citations are mostly thorough and clear. Author does cite Wikipedia in at least one occasion which could be credible, depending on the source of the Wikipedia content. There were a few references within the text to comic or stories but the referenced material was not always apparent.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content of Scientific Inquiry for Social Work is relevant, as the field of social work research methods does not appear to change quickly, although there are innovations. The author referenced examples which appear to be recent and likely relatable to interests of current students. Primary area of innovation is in using technology for the collection and analysis of data, which could be expanded, particularly using social media for soliciting research participants.

Style is personable and content appears to be accessible, which is a unique attribute for a research textbook. Author uses first person in many instances, particularly in the beginning to present the content as relatable.

Format appears to be consistent in format and relative length. Each chapter includes learning objectives, content advisory (if applicable), key takeaways and glossary. Author uses color and text boxes to draw attention to these sections.

Modularity rating: 4

Text is divided into modules which could easily be assigned and reviewed in a class. The text modules could also be re-structured if desired to fit curricular uniqueness’s. Author uses images to illuminate the concepts of the module or chapter, but they often take about 1/3 of the page, which extends the size of the textbook quite a bit. Unclear if benefit of images outweighs additional cost if PDF version is printed.

Textbook is organized in a very logical and clear fashion. Each section appears to be approximately 6-10 pages in length which seems to be an optimal length for student attention and comprehension.

Interface rating: 4

There were some distortions of the text (size and visibility) but they were a fairly minor distraction and did not appear to reduce access to the content. Otherwise text was easy to navigate.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

No grammatical errors were noted but hyperlinks to outside content were referenced but not always visible which occasionally resulted in an awkward read. Specific link may be in resources section of each chapter but occasionally they were also included in the text.

I did not recognize any text which was culturally insensitive or offensive. Images used which depicted people, appeared to represent diverse experiences, cultures, settings and persons. Did notice image depicting homelessness appeared to be stereotypical person sleeping on sidewalk, which can perpetuate a common perception of homelessness. Would encourage author to consider images representing a wider range of experiences of a social phenomena. Content advisories are used for each section, which is not necessarily cultural relevance but is respectful and recognizes the diversity of experiences and triggers that the readers may have.

Overall, I was very impressed and encouraged with the well organized content and thoughtful flow of this important textbook for social work students and instructors. The length and readability of each chapter would likely be appreciated by instructors as well as students, increasing the extent that the learning outcomes would be achieved. Teaching research is very challenging because the content and application can feel very intimidating. The author also has provided access to supplemental resources such as presentations and assignments.

Reviewed by elaine gatewood, Adjunct Faculty, Bridgewater State University on 6/15/21

The book provides concrete and clear information on using research as consumers, It provides a comprehensive review of each step to take to develop a research project from beginning to completion, with examples. read more

The book provides concrete and clear information on using research as consumers, It provides a comprehensive review of each step to take to develop a research project from beginning to completion, with examples.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

From my perspective, content is highly accurate in the field of learning research method and unbiased. It's all there!

The content is highly relevant and up-to-date in the field. The book is written and arranged in a way that its easy to follow along with adding updates.

The book is written in clear and concise. The book provides appropriate context for any jargon/technical terminology used along with examples which readers are able to follow along and understand.

The contents of the book flow quite well. The framework in the book is consistent.

The text appears easily adaptable for readers and the author also provides accompanying PowerPoint presentations; these are a good foundation tools for readers to use and implement.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The contents of the book flow very well. Readers would be able to put into practice the key reading strategies shared in the book ) because its organization is laid out nicely

Interface rating: 3

The interface is generally good, but I was only able to download the .pdf. This may present issues for some student readers.

There are no grammatical errors.

The text was culturally relevant and provided diverse research and practice examples. The text could have benefited from sexamples of intersectional and anti-oppressive lenses for students to consider in their practice.

This text is a comprehensive introduction to research that can be easily adapted for a BSW/MSW research course.

Reviewed by Taylor Hall, Assistant Professor, Bridgewater State University on 6/30/20

This text is more comprehensive than the text I currently use in my Research Methods in Social Work course, which students have to pay for. This text not only covers both qualitative and quantitative research methods, but also all parts of the... read more

This text is more comprehensive than the text I currently use in my Research Methods in Social Work course, which students have to pay for. This text not only covers both qualitative and quantitative research methods, but also all parts of the research process from thinking about research ideas to questions all the way to evaluation after social work programs/policies have been employed.

Not much to say here- with research methods, things are black and white; it is or isn't. This content is accurate. I also like to way the content is explained in light of social work values and ethics. This is something our students can struggle with, and this is helpful in terms of showing why social work needs to pay attention to research.

There are upcoming changes to CSWE's competencies, therefore lots of text materials are going to need to be updated soon. Otherwise, case examples are pertinent and timely.

Clarity rating: 4

I think that research methods for social workers is a difficult field of study. Many go into the field to be clinicians, and few understand (off the bat) the importance of understanding methods of research. I think this textbook makes it clear to me, but hard to rate a 5 as I know from a student's perspective, lots of the terminology is so new.

Appears to be so- I was able to follow, seems consistent.

Yes- and I think this is a strong point of this text. This was easy to follow and read, and I could see myself easily divvying up different sections for students to work on in groups.

Yes- makes sense to me and the way I teach this course. I like the 30,000 ft view then honing in on specific types of research, all along the way explaining the different pieces of the research process and in writing a research paper.

I sometimes struggle with online platforms versus in person texts to read, and this OER is visually appealing- there is not too much text on the pages, it is spaced in a way that makes it easier to read. Colors are used well to highlight pertinent information.

Not something I found in this text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

This is a place where I feel the text could use some work. A nod to past wrongdoings in research methods on oppressed groups, and more of a discussion on social work's role in social justice with an eye towards righting the wrongs of the past. Updated language re: person first language, more diverse examples, etc.

This is a very useful text, and I am going to recommend my department check it out for future use, especially as many of our students are first gen and working class and would love to save money on textbooks where possible.

Reviewed by Olubunmi Oyewuwo-Gassikia, Assistant Professor, Northeastern Illinois University on 5/5/20

This text is an appropriate and comprehensive introduction to research methods for BSW students. It guides the reader through each stage of the research project, including identifying a research question, conducting and writing a literature... read more

This text is an appropriate and comprehensive introduction to research methods for BSW students. It guides the reader through each stage of the research project, including identifying a research question, conducting and writing a literature review, research ethics, theory, research design, methodology, sampling, and dissemination. The author explains complex concepts - such as paradigms, epistemology, and ontology - in clear, simple terms and through the use of practical, social work examples for the reader. I especially appreciated the balanced attention to quantitative and qualitative methods, including the explanation of data collection and basic analysis techniques for both. The text could benefit from the inclusion of an explanation of research design notations.

The text is accurate and unbiased. Additionally, the author effectively incorporates referenced sources, including sources one can use for further learning.

The content is relevant and timely. The author incorporates real, recent research examples that reflects the applicability of research at each level of social practice (micro, meso, and macro) throughout the text. The text will benefit from regular updates in research examples.

The text is written in a clear, approachable manner. The chapters are a reasonable length without sacrificing appropriate depth into the subject manner.

The text is consistent throughout. The author is effective in reintroducing previously explained terms from previous chapters.

The text appears easily adaptable. The instructions provided by the author on how to adapt the text for one's course are helpful to one who would like to use the text but not in its entirety. The author also provides accompanying PowerPoint presentations; these are a good foundation but will likely require tailoring based on the teaching style of the instructor.

Generally, the text flows well. However, chapter 5 (Ethics) should come earlier, preferably before chapter 3 (Reviewing & Evaluating the Literature). It is important that students understand research ethics as ethical concerns are an important aspect of evaluating the quality of research studies. Chapter 15 (Real-World Research) should also come earlier in the text, most suitably before or after chapter 7 (Design and Causality).

The interface is generally good, but I was only able to download the .pdf. The setup of the .pdf is difficult to navigate, especially if one wants to jump from chapter to chapter. This may present issues for the student reader.

The text was culturally relevant and provided diverse research and practice examples. The text could have benefited from more critical research examples, such as examples of research studies that incorporate intersectional and anti-oppressive lenses.

This text is a comprehensive introduction to research that can be easily adapted for a BSW level research course.

Reviewed by Smita Dewan, Assistant Professor, New York City College of Technology, Department of Human Services on 12/6/19

This is a very good introductory research methodology textbook for undergraduate students of social work or human services. For students who might be intimidated by social research, the text provides assurance that by learning basic concepts of... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This is a very good introductory research methodology textbook for undergraduate students of social work or human services. For students who might be intimidated by social research, the text provides assurance that by learning basic concepts of research methodology, students will be better scholars and social work or human service practitioners. The content and flow of the text book supports a basic assignment of most research methodology courses which is to develop a research proposal or a research project. Each stage of research is explained well with many examples from social work practice that has the potential to keep the student engaged.

The glossary at the end of each chapter is very comprehensive but does not include the page number/s where the content is located. The glossary at the end of the book also lacks page numbers which might make it cumbersome for students seeking a quick reference.

The content is accurate and unbiased. Suggested exercises and prompts for students to engage in critical thinking and to identify biases in research that informs practice may help students understand the complexities of social research.

Content is up-to-date and concepts of research methodology presented is unlikely to be obsolete in the coming years. However, recent trends in research such as data mining, using algorithms for social policy and practice implications, privacy concerns, role of social media are topics that could be considered for inclusion in the forthcoming editions.

Content is presented very clearly for undergraduate students. Key takeaways and glossary for each section of the chapter is very useful for students.

Presentation of content, format and organization is consistent throughout the book.

Subsections within each chapter is very helpful for the students who might be assigned readings just in parts for the class.

Students would benefit from reading about research ethics right after the introductory chapter. I would also move Chapter 8 to right after the literature review which might inform creating and refining the research question. Content on evaluation research could also be moved up to follow the chapter on experimental designs. Regardless of the organization, the course instructors can assign chapters according to the course requirements.

PDF version of the book is very easy to use especially as students can save a copy on their computers and do not have to be online. Charts and tables are well presented but some of the images/photographs do not necessarily serve to enhance learning. Image attributions could be provided at the end of the chapter instead of being listed under the glossary. Students might also find it useful to be able to highlight the content and make annotations. This requires that students sign-in. Students should be able to highlight and annotate a downloaded version through Adobe Reader.

I did not find any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Content is not insensitive or offensive in any way. Supporting examples in chapters are very diverse. Students would benefit from some examples of international research (both positive and negative examples) of protection of human subjects.

Reviewed by Jill Hoffman, Assistant Professor, Portland State University on 10/29/19

This text includes 16 chapters that cover content related to the process of conducting research. From identifying a topic and reviewing the literature, to formulating a question, designing a study, and disseminating findings, the text includes... read more

This text includes 16 chapters that cover content related to the process of conducting research. From identifying a topic and reviewing the literature, to formulating a question, designing a study, and disseminating findings, the text includes research basics that most other introductory social work research texts include. Content on ethics, theory, and to a lesser extent evaluation, single-subject design, and action research are also included. There is a glossary at the end of the text that includes information on the location of the terms. There is a practice behaviors index, but not an index in the traditional sense. If using the text electronically, search functions make it easy to find necessary information despite not having an index. If using a printed version, this would be more difficult. The text includes examples to illustrate concepts that are relevant to settings in which social workers might work. As most other introductory social work research texts, this book appears to come from a mainly positivist view. I would have appreciated more of a discussion related to power, privilege, and oppression and the role these play in the research topics that get studied and who benefits, along with anti-oppressive research. Related to evaluations, a quick mention of logic models would be helpful.

The information appears to be accurate and error free. The language in the text seems to emphasize "right/wrong" choices/decisions instead of highlighting the complexities of research and practice. Using gender-neutral pronouns would also make the language more inclusive.

Content appears to be up-to-date and relevant. Any updating would be straightforward to carry out. I found at least one link that did not work (e.g., NREPP) so if you use this text it will be important to check and make sure things are updated.

The content is clearly written, using examples to illustrate various concepts. I appreciated prompts for questions throughout each chapter in order to engage students in the content. Key terms are bolded, which helps to easily identify important points.

Information is presented in a consistent manner throughout the text.

Each chapter is divided into subsections that help with readability. It is easy to pick and choose various pieces of the text for your course if you're not using the entire thing.

There are many ways you can organize a social work research text. Personally, I prefer to talk about ethics and theory early on, so that students have this as a framework as they read about other's studies and design their own. In the case of this text, I'd put those two chapters right after chapter 1. As others have suggested, I'd also move up the content on research questions, perhaps after chapter 4.

In the online version, no significant interface issues arose. The only thing that would be helpful is to have chapter titles clearly presented when navigating through the text in the online version. For example, when you click through to a new chapter, the title simply says "6.0 Chapter introduction." In order to see the chapter title you have to click into the contents tab. Not a huge issue but could help with navigating the online version. In the pdf version, the links in the table of contents allowed me to navigate through to various sections. I did notice that some of the external links were not complete (e.g., on page 290, the URL is linked as "http://baby-").

Cultural representation in the text is similar to many other introductory social work research texts. There's more of an emphasis on white, western, cis-gendered individuals, particularly in the images. In examples, it appeared that only male/female pronouns were used.

Reviewed by Monica Roth Day, Associate Professor, Social Work, Metropolitan State University (Saint Paul, Minnesota) on 12/26/18

The book provides concrete and clear information on using research as consumers, then developing research as producers of knowledge. It provides a comprehensive review of each step to take to develop a research project from beginning to... read more

The book provides concrete and clear information on using research as consumers, then developing research as producers of knowledge. It provides a comprehensive review of each step to take to develop a research project from beginning to completion, with appropriate examples. More specific social work links would be helpful as students learn more about the field and the uses of research.

The book is accurate and communicates information and largely without bias. Numerous examples are provided from varied sources, which are then used to discuss potential for bias in research. The addition of critical race theory concepts would add to this discussion, to ground students in the importance of understanding implicit bias as researchers and ways to develop their own awareness.

The book is highly relevant. It provides historical and current examples of research which communicate concepts using accessible language that is current to social work. The text is written so that updates should be easy. Links need to be updated on a regular basis.

The book is accessible for students at it uses common language to communicate concepts while helping students build their research vocabulary. Terminology is communicate both within the text and in glossaries, and technical terms are minimally used.

The book is consistent in its use of terminology and framework. It follows a pattern of development, from consuming research to producing research. The steps are predictable and walk students through appropriate actions to take.

The book is easily readable. Each chapter is divided in sections that are easy to navigate and understand. Pictures and tables are used to support text.

Chapters are in logical order and follow a common pattern.

When reading the book online, the text was largely free of interface issues. As a PDF, there were issues with formatting. Be aware that students who may wish to download the book into a Kindle or other book reader may experience issues.

The text was grammatically correct with no misspellings.

While the book is culturally relevant, it lacks the application of critical race theory. While students will learn about bias in research, critical race theory would ground students in the importance of understanding implicit bias as researchers and ways to develop their own awareness. It would also help students understand why the background of researchers is important in relation to the ways of knowing.

Reviewed by Jennifer Wareham, Associate Professor, Wayne State University on 11/30/18

The book provides a comprehensive introduction to research methods from the perspective of the discipline of Social Work. The book borrows heavily from Amy Blackstone’s Principles of Sociological Inquiry – Qualitative and Quantitative Methods open... read more

The book provides a comprehensive introduction to research methods from the perspective of the discipline of Social Work. The book borrows heavily from Amy Blackstone’s Principles of Sociological Inquiry – Qualitative and Quantitative Methods open textbook. The book is divided into 16 chapters, covering: differences in reasoning and scientific thought, starting a research project, writing a literature review, ethics in social science research, how theory relates to research, research design, causality, measurement, sampling, survey research, experimental design, qualitative interviews and focus groups, evaluation research, and reporting research. Some of the more advanced concepts and topics are only covered at superficial level, which limits the intended population of readers to high school students, undergraduate students, or those with no background in research methods. Since the book is geared toward Social Work undergraduate students, the chapters and content address methodologies commonly used in this field, but ignore methodologies that may be more popular in other social science fields. For example, the material on qualitative methods is narrow and focuses on commonly used qualitative methods in Social Work. In addition, the chapter on evaluation is limited to a general overview of evaluation research, which could be improved with more in-depth discussion of different types of evaluation (e.g., needs assessment, evaluability assessment, process evaluation, impact/outcomes evaluation) and real-world examples of different types of evaluation implemented in Social Work. Overall, the author provides examples that are easy for practitioners in Social Work to understand, which are also easily relatable for students in similar disciplines such as criminal justice. The book provides a glossary of key terms. There is no index; however, users can search for terms using the find (Ctrl-F) function in the PDF version of the book.

Overall, the content inside this book is accurate, error-free, and unbiased. However, the content is limited to the Social Work perspective, which may be considered somewhat biased or inaccurate from the perspective of others in different disciplines.

The book describes classic examples used in most texts on social science research methods. It also includes contemporary and relevant examples. Some of the content (such as web addresses and contemporary news pieces) will need to be updated every few years. The text is written and arranged in such a way that any necessary updates should be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.

The book is written in clear and accessible prose. The book provides appropriate context for any jargon/technical terminology used. Readers from any social science discipline should be able to understand the content and context of the material presented in the book.

The framework and use of terminology in the book are consistent.

This book is highly modular. The author has even improved upon the modularity of the book from Blackstone’s open text (which serves as the basis of the present text). Each chapter is divided into short, related subsections. The design of the chapters and their subsections make it easy to divide the material into units of study across a semester or quarter of instruction.

Generally, the book is organized in a similar manner as other texts on social science research methods. However, the organization could be improved slightly. Chapters 2 through 4 describe the process of beginning a research project and conducting a literature review. Chapter 8 describes refining a research question. This chapter could be moved to follow the Chapter 4. Chapter 12 describes experimental design, while Chapter 15 provides a description and examples of evaluation research. Since evaluation research tends to rely on experimental and quasi-experimental design, this chapter should follow the experimental design chapter.

For the online version of the book, there were no interface issues. The images and charts were clear and readable. The hyperlinks to sources mentioned in the text worked. The Contents menu allowed for easy and quick access to any section of the book. For the PDF version of the book, there were interface issues. The images and charts were clear and readable. However, the URLs and hyperlinks were not active in the PDF version. Furthermore, the PDF version was not bookmarked, which made it more difficult to access specific sections of the book.

I did not find grammatical errors in the book.

Overall, the cultural relevance and sensitivity were consistent with other social science research methods texts. The author does a good job of using both female and male pronouns in the prose. While there are pictures of people of color, there could be more. Most of the pictures are of white people. Also, the context is generally U.S.-centric.

Table of Contents

  • Chapter 1: Introduction to research
  • Chapter 2: Beginning a research project
  • Chapter 3: Reading and evaluating literature
  • Chapter 4: Conducting a literature review
  • Chapter 5: Ethics in social work research
  • Chapter 6: Linking methods with theory
  • Chapter 7: Design and causality
  • Chapter 8: Creating and refining a research question
  • Chapter 9: Defining and measuring concepts
  • Chapter 10: Sampling
  • Chapter 11: Survey research
  • Chapter 12: Experimental design
  • Chapter 13: Interviews and focus groups
  • Chapter 14: Unobtrusive research: Qualitative and quantitative approaches
  • Chapter 15: Real-world research: Evaluation, single-subjects, and action research
  • Chapter 16: Reporting and reading research

Ancillary Material

  • Open Social Work Education

About the Book

As an introductory textbook for social work students studying research methods, this book guides students through the process of creating a research project. Students will learn how to discover a researchable topic that is interesting to them, examine scholarly literature, formulate a proper research question, design a quantitative or qualitative study to answer their question, carry out the design, interpret quantitative or qualitative results, and disseminate their findings to a variety of audiences. Examples are drawn from the author's practice and research experience, as well as topical articles from the literature.

There are ancillary materials available for this book.  

About the Contributors

Matt DeCarlo earned his PhD in social work at Virginia Commonwealth University and is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Radford University. He earned an MSW from George Mason University in 2010 and a BA in Psychology from the College of William and Mary in 2007. His research interests include open educational resources, self-directed Medicaid supports, and basic income. Matt is an Open Textbook Network Campus Leader for Radford University. He is the founder of Open Social Work Education, a non-profit collaborative advancing OER in social work education.

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Social Work Research Topics List

June 16, 2023

Looking for inspiration for your social work research paper? Look no further! We’ve compiled a list of social work research topic ideas to help you find your perfect research topic and start your paper . From exploring social justice and inequality issues to assessing the impact of social media on mental health, these topics are bound to spark new ideas and get your creative juices flowing. So, whether you’re interested in clinical social work or community practice, read on for inspiration and begin your research journey today!

Social Work Research: What It Deals With

Social work research is connected with collecting information and data on social issues. This process aims to identify the causes and solutions to difficulties that affect individuals, families, and communities. Social workers use the data collected from their research to make their clients’ lives better.

There are many different types of this type of research, including:

  • Qualitative analysis, examining behavior patterns in a group or individual through interviews or observations. The information gathered during these interviews and observations can be used to determine how people react to certain situations, such as poverty, abuse, or neglect.
  • Quantitative analysis gathers numerical data about a group or individual through surveys or questionnaires. The information gathered from these surveys can be used to determine how many people have certain behaviors or characteristics like drug addiction, alcohol abuse, or depression.
  • Professionals may also use other types of techniques such as ethnographic studies (observing behavior in its natural setting), secondary data analysis (analyzing existing data sets), meta-analysis (comparing results across studies) and experimental designs (testing one variable at a time).

How to Choose a Topic for Your Research?

Choosing a topic is one of the most challenging tasks for students. These topics can be chosen from various fields, such as human behavior, mental health, and social norms.

When choosing a research topic, you need to take into account the following:

  • What is your field of study?
  • What do you want to achieve by doing this research?
  • Are you looking for a career in research, or do you want to use this as part of your course requirement?

To make this process easier and help you choose wisely, use the best AI tool for academic writing . It uses current trends and how they relate to your field. It would make your college and research work more focused and efficient.

Social Work Research Topics for College Students

  • The impact of childhood trauma on mental health outcomes in adulthood
  • Examining the effectiveness of community-based interventions for reducing domestic violence
  • The intersection of race and poverty in accessing mental health services
  • The role of social support in promoting positive outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders
  • Understanding the experiences of foster care youth transitioning to adulthood
  • The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for reducing anxiety and depression
  • Examining the impact of social media on adolescent mental health
  • Addressing health disparities in marginalized communities through social work interventions
  • The role of social work in addressing homelessness and housing insecurity
  • Microaggressions` influence on mental health outcomes for people of color
  • Understanding the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care
  • The effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for survivors of sexual assault
  • Examining the impact of adverse childhood experiences on parenting behaviors
  • Addressing the mental health needs of refugees and immigrants in the United States
  • The role of social work in promoting justice and anti-racism in healthcare
  • The experiences of older adults in long-term care facilities
  • Examining the effectiveness of restorative justice practices in reducing recidivism rates
  • The mental health needs of individuals with disabilities
  • The impact of poverty on child development and academic outcomes
  • Understanding the experiences of individuals with mental illness in the criminal justice system

Social Work Topics for Presentation

  • How do social workers deal with homelessness and housing insecurity?
  • The impact of social media on well-being
  • Self-care importance for social workers
  • The mental health needs of LGBTQ+ youth in schools
  • Social work interventions for supporting individuals with substance use disorders
  • Understanding the impact of adverse childhood experiences on mental health outcomes in adulthood
  • Cultural competence in social work
  • The role of social workers in promoting justice and equity in healthcare
  • Trauma-informed care in social work practice
  • The experiences of children in foster care and how social workers can support their well-being
  • Supporting people with disabilities in accessing services
  • Mental health interventions for refugees and immigrants
  • Addressing the unique mental health needs of military veterans
  • The influence of racism and discrimination on mental health outcomes for people of color
  • Social work interventions for addressing domestic violence
  • Supporting caregivers of individuals with chronic illnesses
  • Social work interventions for addressing bullying in schools
  • The role of social workers in promoting restorative justice practices

Social Work Research Interesting Topics

  • The impact of COVID-19 on mental health and social work practice
  • Mindfulness-based interventions in reducing stress and anxiety among social workers
  • The role of social workers in addressing racial disparities in healthcare
  • Trauma-informed care in promoting recovery among survivors of abuse
  • Social media and youth mental health and wellbeing
  • The role of social workers in promoting access to affordable housing
  • Peer support programs for promoting recovery among individuals with substance use disorders
  • The influence of poverty on child development
  • The application of restorative justice practices in reducing recidivism rates among juvenile offenders
  • The role of social workers in promoting access to healthcare for undocumented immigrants
  • The application of cognitive-behavioral therapy for reducing symptoms of depression among individuals with chronic illnesses
  • The impact of domestic violence on mental health and the role of social workers in addressing this issue
  • The effectiveness of school-based social work interventions in promoting academic and social success among at-risk youth
  • The role of social workers in promoting access to care for rural communities
  • The impact of parental incarceration on child development and the role of social workers in providing support to affected families
  • Group therapy for promoting recovery among individuals with eating disorders
  • The influence of homelessness on mental health and the role of social workers in addressing this issue
  • Animal-assisted therapy for promoting emotional wellbeing among individuals with disabilities
  • The role of social workers in promoting access to education for children in foster care
  • The impact of social isolation on mental health and the role of social workers in addressing this issue

Controversial Topics for Social Work Research

  • The effectiveness of faith-based social work interventions
  • The impact of mandatory reporting laws on the relationship between social workers and clients
  • The ethical implications of social workers engaging in political activism
  • The use of medication-assisted treatment for people with opioid use disorders
  • The role of social workers in the criminal justice system, including working with incarcerated individuals and advocating for prison reform
  • The use of seclusion and restraint in mental health facilities and its potential impact on clients’ mental health
  • The ethics of using deception in social work research
  • The potential bias in child welfare decision-making processes
  • The use of teletherapy in social work practice and its effectiveness compared to traditional in-person therapy
  • The influence of mandatory minimum sentences on humans with substance use disorders
  • The ethics of social workers’ involvement in end-of-life decision-making processes
  • The application of cognitive enhancers in social work practice, such as with individuals with ADHD
  • The potential for bias in social work assessments and diagnoses, particularly with regards to race and culture
  • The ethics of social workers engaging in conversion therapy practices
  • The impact of welfare policies on marginalized communities, particularly with regards to poverty and homelessness
  • The ethics of social workers’ involvement in immigration enforcement and detention
  • The potential for conflict of interest in social workers’ involvement in child custody and adoption cases
  • The connection between social work interventions and the family dynamics of persons with mental illness
  • The potential for bias in social workers’ involvement in the special education system
  • The ethics of social workers engaging in dual relationships with clients, such as with friends or family members

Social Work Research Topics in Human Services

  • The impact of human service interventions on the well-being of individuals experiencing homelessness
  • The effectiveness of social work interventions in addressing food insecurity in low-income communities
  • Understanding the barriers to accessing mental health services for individuals with disabilities and the role of human services in addressing these barriers
  • The influence of trauma on the mental health of refugees and immigrants, and the role of human services in providing trauma-informed care
  • The effectiveness of human service interventions in addressing the opioid epidemic
  • The connection between human services and improving educational outcomes for at-risk youth
  • Addressing the mental health needs of individuals experiencing domestic violence through human services interventions
  • The role of human services in supporting individuals with chronic illnesses and their families
  • The experiences of older adults in human service settings and the role of human services in promoting their well-being
  • The impact of human services on the social and emotional development of children in foster care
  • Addressing the unique mental health needs of LGBTQ+ individuals through human services interventions
  • The role of human services in promoting restorative justice practices in the criminal justice system
  • The effectiveness of human service interventions in addressing substance use disorders in marginalized communities
  • The impact of human services on reducing poverty and income inequality
  • The experiences of individuals with mental illness in human service settings and the role of human services in promoting their recovery
  • The effectiveness of human services interventions in addressing child abuse and neglect
  • Addressing the mental health needs of military veterans through human services
  • The influence of human services on promoting social justice and equity in healthcare
  • Understanding the experiences of individuals with developmental disabilities in human service settings and the role of human services in promoting their independence
  • The influence of social determinants of health on mental health outcomes through human services interventions

What Difficulties You Can Face Conducting Your Research

Social work research is a particular field involving a lot of hard work and dedication. It is not something that just anyone can accomplish, but only by those who have the required skills and expertise. However, even with all of these skills and expertise, there are still some things that you cannot do on your own. This is where we come in! Our custom writing service is here to assist you with your project.

Writers in Custom Writing are well-versed in this type of research, which means they can provide you with high-quality content that will satisfy all of your requirements. All our writers have been carefully selected based on their qualifications and experience; they know exactly what they are doing and how they need to do it. They also have an extensive knowledge base in this field, allowing them to produce quality work in no time. If you want to get the best results possible, you should contact us immediately!

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300 Social Work Research Topics & Questions for Papers

Social Work Research Topics

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Social work research focuses primarily on studying problems experienced in social work field. The research, in this case, talks about challenges that caseworkers go through in their practice. Social work research topics cover various things, including problems in welfare work, and indicate how research can be used to gain a deep understanding of the issues. Have you been wondering how to develop an intriguing social work topic and possible areas to discuss in your research? Don't worry because this article by our online paper writing service covers all your concerns. The blog post will provide some social work research topic ideas that you can consider for your social work research.

What Are Social Work Research Topics?

Social work research topics are areas of study that involve applying research methodology to comprehend sectors that are challenging for social workers. These topic ideas concentrate on addressing some problems that caseworkers go through both in their lives and their field. Research topics for social work may vary. However, like any other research paper, writing social work research topics deals with application of related theories and concepts, as well as understanding the entire casework aspects. The research involves applying cause and effect, analytic, survey, and experimental procedures to find ways to address welfare challenges. The purpose of welfare work study is to understand the efficiency of various interventions used to address challenges people develop due to welfare deprivation.

Characteristics of Good Social Work Topics

As an individual seeking to conduct research in welfare work areas, you need to know some of the features that make social work topics to be of great value. Below are characteristics that will make topics for social work research incredible.

  • A good topic covers modern trends and incorporates the ideas in the social field.
  • The topic should break specific stereotypes using reasonable evidence.
  • It must also be supported by various studies that are peer-reviewed.
  • Topic chosen must be related to practices in the welfare field.

How to Choose a Social Work Topic?

A plan to decide on excellent social work topics to research starts with a general orientation into social work field. Here are some steps involved when choosing a social work research topic.

  • Pick a sector with research potential or simply the one you like.
  • Start with “why” and “what” questions and expand on them.
  • Read data on faculty’s research interests.
  • Read a proper research paper that find interesting and focus on literature review and background sections to gain insight into various issues.
  • Identify and browse journals that relate to your likes.
  • Lastly, you can look online for research topics that are ready and skim through them to gain new knowledge.

Once you pick a topic, don’t hesitate to contact our proficient research paper writers . Our experts are adept in many fields and can complete a research paper on any topic.

Social Work Research Topics List

Social work research topics cover various concepts and challenges related to caseworkers and their fields of practice. Below are comprehensive research topics in social work that are compelling to explore.

  • Parenting and how it is affected by drug abuse.
  • Hardship and benefits of teenage adoption.
  • Dealing with suicidal thoughts.
  • Societal view on mental sickness stigma.
  • Adverse impact of displacement on street kids.
  • Homelessness and associated psychological effects.
  • Managing PTSD among veterans.
  • Adolescents and associated clinical depression.
  • How group therapy helps to better the lives of foster residents.
  • Family role in reducing or increasing depression.
  • Effectiveness of anti-depressants.
  • Impact of death on wellbeing of a family.
  • Effects of divorce on lifestyle and health of children.
  • Ways to address military troops' suicidal tendencies.
  • Causes of suicidal thoughts in society.
  • Impact of disability on lives of parents.
  • Ways to address stigma associated with disability.
  • Children with autism are socially excluded.
  • Impacts of bullying on children’s wellbeing.
  • Complexities around child labor.
  • Debate for and against abortion.
  • Maltreatment of children in foster care.
  • Change in societal reaction to HIV/AIDS in the 1990s and now.
  • Rape and its psychological impact on the victim.
  • Ways to reduce human trafficking.

Unique Topics in Social Work

There are scholarly research topics in social work that draw extra attention from readers since they are unique in nature. Such topics often concentrate on issues neglected in society. Below are unique topics for social work research.

  • Is wellbeing therapy sustainable?
  • Teenage girls’ menstrual experiences in foster homes for the first time.
  • Poverty and how it impedes growth in the American Deep South.
  • Negative impact of conversion therapy on LGBTQ society.
  • Influence of inclusive healthcare system on ensuring good welfare lives of people.
  • Interracial marriages and their associated problems.
  • Effects of diversity on children with disabilities.
  • Effects of physical abuse on spousal intimacy.
  • Pornography as a primary contributor of incest in families.
  • Increase in violence against children and women.
  • Activism role based on culture in Native Americans ’ lives.
  • Sexual addiction of women to men.
  • Disparity in health services for immigrants.
  • Challenges experienced by people diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
  • Living with a spouse with memory problem.
  • Power issue in divorce mediation.
  • Issues related to having many partners.
  • Reintegration of those who survive substance abuse into the society.
  • Employment initiatives for women.
  • Dynamic systems applied to nations in war situations.
  • Transracial adoption and identity issue.
  • The hidden trauma in young counselors.
  • Ensuring access to medical services in villages.
  • Lowering the gender pay gap.
  • Reducing racism and antisemitism.

Controversial Topics in Social Work

Presently, there are several controversial issues in social work that may give rise to social research topics. Listed below are some controversial social work research topics.

  • Societal reaction to euthanasia.
  • Myths on adolescents’ substance abuse.
  • Societal groups that are most vulnerable to substance abuse.
  • Ways to deal with drug abuse in orphanages.
  • Ethical issues associated with human trafficking.
  • Family support role in reducing recidivism.
  • How imprisonment affects mental health.
  • Gender difference when dealing with imprisoned individuals.
  • Juvenile delinquents and reeducation strategies.
  • Whose role is it to develop resilience in social work?
  • What are strategies to build resilience among welfare workers?
  • Benefits associated with social health education among incarcerated women.
  • How unreported cases of abuse propagate violence.
  • Does constructivist therapy offer anything new to social work?
  • Should caseworkers support hypnosis use?
  • Who is responsible for misdiagnosis?
  • How does misdiagnosis affect lives of mentally ill individuals?
  • Health benefits associated with hypnosis on an individual.
  • Should parents be involved in preventing dyslexia?
  • Ways to address panic for both adults and adolescents.
  • Challenges faced by the LGBTQ community.
  • Do traffickers suffer psychological consequences of human trafficking?
  • Welfare workers’ roles in civil wars.
  • Various strategies to help anti-social students.
  • Was confinement sanctioning by the court a good move?

Interesting Social Work Research Questions

Before you start your research, it is essential to develop a social work research question that guides the type of information you will gather. Some of the social work research questions examples that talk about various interesting social work topics are listed below.

  • How can the US solve the rise in obesity cases?
  • How does taking student loans impact them psychologically?
  • How can America curb increasing addiction cases?
  • How do we help adults with learning disabilities?
  • How can we improve lives of pregnant incarcerated mothers?
  • What is America’s racial disparity prevalence?
  • How can PTSD patients receive support?
  • Does poverty have psychological effects on children?
  • What are workplace violence indicators?
  • What are strategies to ensure work-family balance?
  • What does society believe about divorce and its impact on children?
  • Do you think substance abuse can be regulated?
  • What are consequences of living with HIV/AIDS?
  • Do you feel traumatized living with dyslexia?
  • What are causes of bipolar disorder?
  • How does society treat those with bipolar disorders?
  • Who is more vulnerable to divorce?
  • Does the US criminal justice system play its role in reducing juvenile delinquency?
  • What are problems minority kids face at their foster homes?
  • Does substance misuse lead to alcoholism?
  • Role of police brutality in increasing transformative change?
  • What is the appropriate strategy to help patients with bipolar?
  • How can we avoid re-incarceration?
  • What does religion say about LGBTQ community?
  • How does ADHD affect children in foster homes?

>> Read more: Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

Hot Topics in Social Work

There are various topics in social work that a researcher can explore to address current hot issues such as COVID-19 pandemic. These topics are important since they help determine current and future solutions to an issue. Here are some social work issues topics that you can consider.

  • What are effects of Russian-Ukraine war on society?
  • Impact of COVID-19 on welfare workers’ psychological health.
  • Issues that arise in households with adopted children.
  • Social workers’ attitude towards older people.
  • Importance of religion in reducing stereotypes.
  • How building emotional intelligence helps caseworkers.
  • Demands that residents in a foster facility make.
  • Challenges single parents experience.
  • Support strategies for single parents.
  • Strategies to help sexually exploited children.
  • Factors leading to homelessness in the US.
  • Forms of abuse elders experience from young people.
  • Media role in shaping antisemitism stereotypes.
  • Approaches to working with elderly people who are cognitively impaired.
  • Parental role in shaping sexual orientation of their children.
  • When should a child be removed from a setting?
  • Child neglect and its effects on victim’s academic performance.
  • Psychological effects of children watching domestic violence.
  • Grief and its associated symptoms.
  • Methods for assisting kids who have seen domestic violence.
  • Ways to encourage domestic violence reporting.
  • Technology and addiction treatment.
  • Suicide prevention protocol in different localities.
  • Risk factors associated with secondary traumatic stress.
  • Ways to increase cancer screening rates.

Human Services Research Topics

Human services topics are important since they deal with human existence and ways to make it better. Human service topics focus on how social workers help to satisfy individuals’ and communities’ needs. Generally, social workers’ primary aim is to ensure people live in the most comfortable way possible. Some of the human service research topics are indicated below.

  • Adverse impact of unemployment.
  • Ways to deal with anxiety and depression among small children.
  • Reducing number of incarcerated individuals.
  • Impact of juvenile delinquency in the US.
  • Relevant ways to breed love in foster care.
  • Integration of dyslexic people into society.
  • Government intervention to enhance welfare conditions.
  • Importance of food banks for the US citizens.
  • High school bullying prevalence and impacts.
  • Factors leading to family violence.
  • Impact of homophobia on LGBTQ+ community.
  • Drawbacks of the US correctional system.
  • Effects of mental illness misdiagnosis.
  • The move to invalidate bullying in high schools.
  • Causes of panicking in kids.
  • Interventions to reduce unemployment rates in the US.
  • Strategies to show concern for individuals from communities with low income.
  • Challenges of homophobia in the UAE.
  • Social workers in reducing child abuse cases.
  • Strategies to enhance resilience among welfare workers.
  • The need for psychological therapy among welfare workers.
  • Important household policies that can reduce domestic violence.
  • Shortcomings of America’s carceral system.
  • Interventions for children raised in abusive homes.
  • Ways to improve learning experience for disabled children.

Best Social Work Research Topics Ideas

Social work plays a huge role in our daily lives. Therefore, exploring research topics ideas for social work will help us to understand welfare workers’ role in making our lives better. This section discusses various social work topics for research papers. It is categorized into subsections, starting with research paper topics, thesis topics, and dissertation topics. Here, you will also find social work capstone ideas, topics for discussion, essay, and presentation topics. Details for each subsection are provided below.

Social Work Research Paper Topics

As an individual in social work field, you will write several research papers and essays. Social work paper topics you can cover depend on your interests, trends, or any other factor. Some interesting topics related to social work you can consider include the following.

  • Social workers' perspectives on elderly.
  • Causes of people's unwillingness to take advantage of mental health care services.
  • Problems that foster children face that prevent them from completing their college degrees.
  • Welfare workers’ role in drug abuse prevention.
  • The significance of cultural awareness in casework.
  • Facilitation of prenatal and postpartum care for surrogate moms.
  • Assessing how PTSD affects psychological wellbeing.
  • Adoptive families face unique difficulties and concerns.
  • Benefits of play therapy interventions for school counseling.
  • Hemodialysis patients' mental health and the methods used to help them.
  • Importance of leisure pursuits for Alzheimer's patients.
  • Damages of psychological violence.
  • Trauma and adolescent transition among LGBTQ+ kids.
  • Understanding the neglect-syndrome of foster kids.
  • Understanding trauma for caseworkers.
  • Foster parenting's advantages.
  • Role of foster parents in violence prevention.
  • Domestic violence and its impacts.
  • Foster homes’ role in creating a safe space.
  • How diversity helps in social works sector.

Social Work Thesis Topics

There are several thesis topics in social work to research during your master’s program or PhD, which can vary depending on your interest or occupation. Below are some of the social work literature review topics that you can look into.

  • Effectiveness of group therapy for alcoholics.
  • Mental health services’ effectiveness for pedophilia survivors.
  • Inaccessibility of mental health care for members of underrepresented groups due to language barriers.
  • Prepartum depression and connection to expecting mothers.
  • Relationship between codependency and emotional unavailability.
  • Strategies to handle fatigue among welfare workers.
  • Burnout causes among social workers.
  • Challenges associated with child birth and labor.
  • Depression and the perception of welfare mothers.
  • Prevalence of mental health in the US.
  • The use of an integrated system in various foster homes within America.
  • Nurses’ commitment level and how it is associated with health outcomes.
  • Impact of legalizing abortion in some states.
  • Comparison between displacement in foster homes and war sites.
  • Analyzing displacement and associated challenges.
  • How immigrant families benefit from parenthood?
  • Issues that visually disabled students face at school.
  • Essence of welfare work sector diversity.
  • Learning about depression from the welfare mom's viewpoint.
  • Ways to improve healthcare system.

Social Work Dissertation Topics

Dissertation is a crucial part of your education life as a social worker. Therefore, dissertation topics in social work have to be properly framed and specific. Here are some of the dissertation topics for social work to consider.

  • Coping strategies of men during violence at home.
  • Rape and how it affects victim’s psychological development.
  • Acceptance rate of addiction by addicts within the US.
  • Vulnerable groups and government’s role in improving their lives.
  • Justification of gender pay gap in America.
  • Addiction to substance abuse and its role in the contemporary world.
  • Prevalence of homosexuality in the US.
  • Naturalizing human needs as a way to break down taboo and barriers.
  • The association between stigma and drug abuse persistence.
  • Drug abuse and how music increases its prevalence.
  • Rate at which American citizens care for their forefathers.
  • Technological role in shaping our sexual preferences.
  • Reasons why men and women commit suicide.
  • Existing protection policies for children in New York State.
  • Investigating US women who have experienced child sexual abuse.
  • Assessment of healing strategies for drug abuse survivors.
  • The role of parents in supporting their children’s ambitions.
  • Volunteering and its impact on self-satisfaction.
  • Therapies used to treat effective disorder in an American youth.
  • The need for sexual education among young girls with mental health issues.

Social Work Capstone Project Ideas

As a social worker, you should consider some social work project topics for your capstone project . Capstone project social work research topics are highlighted below.

  • Impact of domestic violence on marital satisfaction.
  • How does government support minority groups?
  • Media role in ensuring public safety.
  • Causes of child neglect.
  • How juvenile crime affects the US.
  • How government ensures food security.
  • Enhancing public safety in minority communities.
  • Problems associated with criminal justice system.
  • Social integration of individuals with Down Syndrome.
  • Role of school administration in reducing bullying.
  • Bullying and victims’ academic performance.
  • Trauma experienced by social workers.
  • Parenting and its role in children’s sexual orientation.
  • What causes panic in schools.
  • How child support is essential in divorced couples.
  • Child neglect and its causes.
  • Damages caused by psychological violence.
  • Trauma of adolescent transitioning in LGBTQ+ children.
  • Understanding foster kids’ neglect-syndrome.
  • Causes of increase in reincarceration among youths in America.

Social Work Topics for Discussion

Highlighted below are some social work discussion topics to consider.

  • Root causes of domectic violence.
  • Location-specific suicide prevention and crisis protocols.
  • How does drug dependence influence parenting?
  • Public policies for and against LGBT community.
  • Ways of providing support for bipolar patients.
  • Prenatal depression in expectant mothers.
  • How to cope with imprisonment stigma.
  • Ways to improve living standards in foster homes.
  • What are the best community service strategies for refugees?
  • How can backyard farming be used to empower women?
  • Utilizing gender sensitivity to help the LGBT community.
  • Cultural importance of generation gap.
  • Secondary traumatic stress: symptoms, risk factors & ways of managing.
  • How to motivate women to report family violence.
  • Various ways in which unemployment influences immigrants.
  • How peer service providers confront reproductive health issues.
  • The major problems faced by welfare workers.
  • Detrimental influence of alcohol and drug on adolescents.
  • Effectiveness of the prohibition of liquor.
  • Key reasons for heightened crime rates in modern society.

Social Work Essay Topics

Here are some of social work topics for essays that you should consider in your writing.

  • Global challenges faced by deported women.
  • Street hawking opportunities for teenagers.
  • Main factors that lead to incest.
  • Positive and negative effects of health care reforms.
  • How environmental welfare work is undertaken.
  • Care strategies for immigrants.
  • Impact of corporate social responsibility on community wellbeing.
  • Does welfare scheme affect worker’s performance?
  • The impact of sexual violence on adolescent girls.
  • How does diversity affect various communities?
  • Effect of play therapy interventions in school counseling.
  • Influence of poverty on children’s development and education.
  • How should welfare workers deal with pedophilia victims?
  • How should caseworkers prevent burnout?
  • How to establish a high school service-learning program.
  • Elder abuse: most prevalent forms.
  • The central issues associated with special education.
  • Personal perspective on the obstacles faced by vulnerable populations in search medical help.
  • What is the greatest risk of fetal alcohol exposure?
  • Ways to enhance caseworkers’ mental health.

Social Work Topics for Presentation

Presentation social work topics for research discuss different aspects of the field of social work. The research topics have to be practical for them to be presented well. Below are some good research topics for social work presentation.

  • Strategies to ensure equality during job recruitment.
  • Autism and its risk factors.
  • Causes of depression in kids.
  • What are risk factors of PTSD among victims?
  • Ways to reduce suicide cases in society.
  • Advantages and disadvantages of rehabilitation centers.
  • Community initiatives to cater for the elders.
  • Effects of misdiagnosis of mental illness.
  • Ethics of abortion.
  • Importance of early cancer screening.
  • Strategies to reduce unemployment rate among minority communities.
  • How foster parents can help in countering youth violence.
  • Euthanasia and how various religions view it.
  • Compare societal preparation to COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS.
  • Contemporary ways to substance abuse.
  • Eating disorder and its causes.

Research Topics for Social Work Students

College students also apply social work research topics in their study of related subject, which covers various aspects in the field of social work. Here are some of social work research topics for college students.

  • Resident’s experience in long-term care facilities.
  • Strategies to handle life when both parents suffer from Alzheimer’s.
  • Pregnancy experience among immigrants and how they approach it.
  • How does death affect the collective wellbeing of the family?
  • Enhancing digital literacy among immigrant students.
  • How socioeconomic disparity affects the old.
  • Social and mental effects of loans on students.
  • Social problems that autistic children face.
  • Conversion therapy’s negative effects on the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Impact of science on cancer treatment.

You will find a lot of topics in different fields on our platform. If you are looking for  topics in laws  or mental health research paper topics , just go to our library and find what you need.

Bottom Line on Social Work Research Topic Ideas

Feel free to choose a topic of your choice from the social work research topics examples recommended above. Apply appropriate topic categories during the process of choosing topics depending on your needs, knowledge in the field, and the type of paper you are writing. Practice using the provided examples will make you perfect.

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Social Work  is the premiere journal of the social work profession. Widely read by practitioners, faculty, and students, it is the official journal of NASW and is provided to all members as a membership benefit. Social Work is dedicated to improving practice and advancing knowledge in social work and social welfare.   

2021 Journal Impact Factor™: 2.855

Voices from the Frontlines: Social Workers Confront the COVID-19 Pandemic  Laura S. Abrams, PhD, Alan J. Dettlaff, PhD Translating Trauma-Informed Principles into Social Work Practice Jill Levenson, PhD, LCSW The Perils of Privatization: Bringing the Business Model into Human Services Jennifer R. Zelnick, MSW, ScD, Mimi Abramovitz, DSW Sharing Psychotherapy Notes with Patients: Therapists’ Attitudes and Experiences Hannah Chimowitz, Stephen O’Neill, Suzanne Leveille, Katrina Welch, Jan Walker Methods to Decrease Disparities in Age of Autism Diagnosis and Treatment Access among Latinx Children Kristina Lopez, Jessica M Marroquin, Courtney Gutierrez

Social Work Research

Social Work Research

Social Work Research publishes exemplary research to advance the development of knowledge and inform social work practice. Widely regarded as the outstanding journal in the field, it includes analytic reviews of research, theoretical articles pertaining to social work research, evaluation studies, and diverse research studies that contribute to knowledge about social work issues and problems.  

2021 Journal Impact Factor™: 1.844

Social Work in the Age of a Global Pandemic Charlotte Lyn Bright Exposure to Community-Based Violence on Social Media among Black Male Emerging Adults Involved with the Criminal Justice System  Robert O. Motley, Jr., Yu-Chih Chen, Carnayla Johnson, Sean Joe Using a Trauma-Informed, Socially Just Research Framework with Marginalized Populations: Practices and Barriers to Implementation  Laura A. Voith, Tyrone Hamler, Meredith W. Francis, Hyunjune Lee, Amy Korsch-Williams State-Level Immigration Policy Context and Health: How Are Latinx Immigrant Parents Faring?  Cecilia Ayón The Association of Acculturation with Overt and Covert Perceived Discrimination for Older Asian Americans  Keith Chan

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For 20 years, human services professionals have relied on Health & Social Work for the latest advances in areas such as aging, clinical work, long-term care, oncology, substance abuse, depression, and maternal health. Articles also cover research, policy, specialized services, quality assurance, in-service training, and other topics that affect the delivery of health care services  

2021 Journal Impact Factor™: 1.896

What Have Hospital Social Workers Been Prepared for COVID-19 from SARS, MERS, and H1N1? Johnson Chun-Sing Cheung Secondary Traumatic Stress and Related Factors in Australian Social Workers and Psychologists  Samantha Rayner, Cindy Davis, Matthew Moore, Tamara Cadet Body Appreciation and Health Care Avoidance: A Brief Report Mackenzie Cook, Virginia Ramseyer Winter, Elizabeth A. O’Neill Veteran Suicide Risk Factors: A National Sample of Nonveteran and Veteran Men Who Died by Suicide David S. Wood, Bethany M. Wood, Aislinn Watson, Devan Sheffield, Helena Hauter Trans Men’s Access to Knowledgeable Providers and Their Experiences in Health Care Settings: Differences by Demographics, Mental Health, and Degree of Being “Out” to Providers  Kristie L. Seelman, Shanna K Kattari, Penny Harvey, Matthew Bakko

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Evidence-Based Assessment Tools for Common Mental Health Problems: A Practical Guide for School Settings  Jack H. Andrews, Evelyn Cho, Siena K. Tugendrajch, Brigid R. Marriott, Kristin M. Hawley Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline: A Trauma-Informed, Critical Race Perspective on School Discipline Stacey Dutil Structural Racism in Schools: A View through the Lens of the National School Social Work Practice Model  Jandel Crutchfield, Kate L. Phillippo, Andy Frey School Social Worker Voice during COVID-19 School Disruptions: A National Qualitative Analysis Gordon Capp, Kate Watson, Ron A Astor, Michael S Kelly, Rami Benbenishty Should Esports Be a Co-Curricular Activity in School? Hok-Lai Shum, Chin-Hei Lee, Johnson Chun-Sing Cheung

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social work topics to research

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social work topics to research

81 Social Work Research Topics to Consider for PhD Research

Browse our collection of wide-ranging research topics for social work that can make your project stand out.

social work topics to research

Great Social Work Topics to Research: Signs, Features & Examples

The main thing to remember when seeking great social work research proposal topics is the need to focus on investigating actual problems. Major research areas are related to concepts, theories, and principles people use to interact with individuals and groups. Moreover, research also covers internal processes and functioning principles within social entities. The research helps to understand the problems better and find solutions.

Another important thing is that social work topics to research should be associated with the practice. Theoretical knowledge can’t be completed without a practical part. The research proposal topic should bring specific evidence, functional arguments, and tangible benefits. Your social work research topics should be revolutionary for the field and align with the latest trends.

research in social work

What Makes Qualitative Research Topics in Social Work Outstanding

Composing a proposal is essential if you need to conduct investigations in a particular field. Social work research proposals are required to outline your plan to study a specific area. In the research proposal, you should demonstrate impeccable knowledge of the field’s fundamental problems and an understanding of the research question set. It should clearly explain the social work research methods chosen and state the outcomes you expect to get.

The initial step in creating a proposal is finding an appropriate social work research topics ideas. However, selecting an exciting theme among myriads of options may be challenging, even if you narrow the search area. To simplify the process and provide you with the most valuable opportunities, we’ve collected some of the best ideas to inspire you for an excellent research proposal and further work.

Besides having a paper topic list, you may need an example of social work research proposal to complete the task successfully. This sample shows how the text is structured and how the information is distributed among all parts. Just look at how the research question is formulated here and how the author manages it to add more value to their work.

example of social work research proposal

Social Work Research Topics Ideas to Inspire You

Developing worthy scholarly research topics in social work is usually the hardest, especially if people must do it themselves. Without proper experience, it is sometimes difficult to assess the manageability of the study, the relevance, and the availability of supporting materials. To make the task easier, we present you with research topics for social work proposals that will inspire you and give you an idea of what to write a paper about.

  • Preparing Educators for Multiple Settings
  • Evaluation of the Impact of Innovation on Social Workers’ Performance
  • Support Services for Families in Need
  • Peer Service Providers in Addressing Reproductive Health
  • The Major Problems Encountered by Social Workers During Work
  • The Best Inclusive Practices on Education for People with ASD
  • The Impact of Gender Diversity in Schools
  • How Secondary Trauma Affects Adults
  • Importance of Religion in Reducing Stereotypes
  • The Impact of Death on the Collective Well-Being of the Family
  • How Does Evidence-Based Practice Influence Life-Long Learning?
  • How Homelessness Impacts People’s Psyche
  • The Best Social Inclusion Strategies for War Victims
  • Strategies to Support Single Parents
  • The Effect and Consequences of Mis- and Undiagnosed Mental Illnesses
  • The Cultural Importance of Generation Gap
  • Significance of Family Support as a Possible Way of Alcohol Recovery
  • The Impact of Alcohol on the Psychology of a Person
  • Proper Ways to Breed Love in Foster Care

Most of the ideas in this social work research topics list have a solid research base that you can use to conduct a detailed literature review and develop your own arguments. Reinventing the wheel is good practice, but the ability to find a worthwhile solution by examining an exciting question from a different perspective is just as good.

Controversial Social Work Research Topics List

As with different fields and areas, many paper topics relate to problems, situations, and cases that are worth discussing but often glossed over. Violence, trauma, and stigmatization are just a few examples of such issues that would seem better suited for psychology research proposals . However, these issues are no less important to consider in the social work context.

  • Exploration of the Effect of Poverty on Children’s Mental Health
  • The Impact of Student Loans on Learners Motivation and Well-Being
  • Helping Sexually Exploited Children
  • The Common Types of Elder Abuse and Ways to Prevent Them
  • The Major Stigma Associated With People Who Have Depression
  • Therapy and Support Groups for Welfare Workers
  • Coping With Imprisonment Stigma
  • Coping Strategies of Men During Violence at Home
  • Social Inclusion Measures for War Veterans
  • The Essence of Welfare Work Sector Diversity
  • What Are Disability and the Stigma Enveloping It?
  • Identifying the Practices Considered Neglecting Children
  • The Connection Between Divorce and the Health and Lifestyle of Children
  • Psychological Violence and Damages It Causes
  • Ways to Identify Trauma in the Workplace
  • Ways to Improve Living Standards in Foster Homes
  • Counteracting Bullying Aimed At Dyslexic Children
  • Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Community Wellbeing
  • Effects of Misdiagnosis of Mental Illness
  • How Home Violence Impacts Children
  • Challenges Faced by Minority Children at Their Foster Homes
  • Social Problems of ASD Children
  • Research of Social Reacts to Euthanasia
  • Undiagnosed Depression and How Family Exacerbates It
  • Ways to Control Addiction at Various Stages
  • Psychological Impacts of Child Trafficking
  • Sustainability of Wellness Therapy
  • Teenage Pregnancy Impact on Teenage Mothers
  • Negative Impact of Conversion Therapy Negatively on the LGBTQ+ Community
  • Spousal Violence and How to Address It

Research Topics for Social Work Students Who Want to Go Far

What do you want to achieve with your social work research proposal? Is it a common assignment you just need to handle, or will this project mark the beginning of your path to effectively helping people? Think about this when selecting a research proposal sociology topic, and consider choosing something that resonates with you personally.

  • Risks of Drug Abuse Among Adolescents From Disadvantaged Families
  • Negative Effects of Abusive Parenting
  • Investigation and Prevention Causes of Child Abuse in Orphanages
  • How Does Domestic Violence Affect a Family
  • The Strategies Put in Place to Encourage Women to Report GBV
  • A Study of Dealing With Dyslexia as an Adolescent
  • Trafficking: The Impacts of It on the Social Well-Being of a Society
  • Vulnerability to Drugs and Ways to Help Drug Addicts
  • Clinical Depression and Undiagnosed Depression
  • Therapy for Underrepresented Groups and Its Importance in Reducing Discrimination
  • The Dangers of Confinement and Why It Should Be Looked Into
  • The Challenges of Hurricanes in Low-Income Neighborhoods
  • Ways for PTSD Patients to Receive Inclusive Support
  • Gender Roles and Cultural Beliefs and Their Impact on Marriages
  • The Practice of Resilience Amongst Social Workers
  • The Protest Against Police Brutality
  • Sponsorship Impact on the Lives of Recovering Addicts
  • The Impacts of Constant Mobility on the Lives of Orphaned Toddlers
  • The Ways Physical Abuse Affects Spousal Intimacy
  • An Importance of Encouraging More Flexible Social Structures for Disabled People
  • The Greatest Risk of Fetal Alcohol Exposure
  • Transition to Social Work From Previous Employment
  • The Global Poverty of Modern Human Services
  • The Best Way to Establish a High School Service-Learning Program
  • How Mass Media Affects Educational Development
  • Factors Leading To Children’s Neglection in Society
  • The Effect of Mass Media on Childhood Socialization
  • The Best Autism Care Practices
  • The Generation Gap and Effect on Culture
  • How Family Cruelty Impacts Lives
  • Factors Contributing to Family Violence

To find more paper topic ideas, check out the social work research topics pdf and pick something to inspire yourself.

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Download Here More Social Science Research Proposal Ideas!

What else does the choice of research topics for social work students affect?

  • Data Collection and Analysis

Ensure your chosen proposal topic has enough materials to create a solid theoretical framework. Also, it often influences research methodology. For example, by selecting a qualitative research topic in social work, you should be prepared to organize focus groups, develop questionnaires, etc.

  • The Whole Work Process

A social work research proposal is just a plan for your work during the next several years. If you choose a paper topic that doesn’t interest you, you risk burnout and failing to earn the desired degree.

  • The Outcome and Research Success

Most research topics in social work are related to significant problems humanity faces. Thus, your proposal ideas should be practicable and relevant. They also should have measurable outcomes and lead to improvements in your field.

Let Experts Help with Social Work Research Proposals Preparation

The selection of research topics social work is only a part of the process. Next, you will need to collect and analyze available materials, design your own research, and cope with it, which may not be easy. Luckily, our seasoned proposal writing experts can help you not only with great inspirational ideas but also with their realization in the paper. No matter how complex and comprehensive your qualitative research topics in social work are, there are field-related PhD researchers to support you. Just provide us with the needed requirements and research materials, if any, and enjoy your well-written proposal paper delivered soon!

Why wait any longer? Get full-service assistance with social work research paper topics from PhD experts in your field!

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233 Social Work Research Topics: Helpful List For Students

social work research topics

Social work research topics deal with many things. They look into some of the problem generating areas within the social works field and the use of research methodology to understand these problems. They also try to sort these problems out and address some of the challenges encountered both in the lives of social workers and their primary field of practice.

Like every other research writing, writing a social work research topic requires the carrying out of in-depth research finding on the subject which requires the application of theories, the use of concepts, understanding the basic and advanced principles of social works, observing the intricacies within the field of study, finding ways to address these social issues through the use of experimental, survey, analytic, cause and effect researching procedure.

To craft an intriguing and compelling essay topic on social works, all of the aforementioned will need to be present as they help you not just in the topic formulation process but also in the research writing. Every research writing follows a particular style and writing on social works partakes in this process. Here are some social work-related research topics to put into consideration.

Social Work Research Topics

Social work as a field of work and field of study deals primarily with practicality. Even though the understanding of some of its underlying principles requires first the use and application of theories, social workers deal with practical applications daily. Writing a research topic on this field, therefore, requires that each topic will have undertones of practicality woven within it.

This is necessary as the primary goal of both social work research writing and the field itself is in carrying out investigations and the understanding of various issues that impact the lives of individuals and how they could be addressed. Research social worker research topics on it can look like.

  • The importance of group therapy for children in foster homes
  • Impacts of clinical depression on teenage girls
  • Lack of child support and its impact on child care in America
  • A look into depression and the stigma associated with it.
  • ADHD within foster homes and its impacts on children
  • The impacts of constant mobility in the lives of orphaned toddlers
  • Addressing the inherent PTSD in the lives of medical veterans
  • The social relegation of Autism children
  • Addressing the stigma surrounding disability
  • Disability and how it affects the lives of middle-aged parents
  • The recurring case of displacement and its violent effects on street children
  • How homelessness impacts people psyche
  • Misdiagnosed mental illness and its negative impacts on people
  • Suicidal tendencies within military units and possible ways to address them.
  • The need for the social interrogation of mental illness stigma
  • Parents living with Bipolar and how it impacts their parenting and children’s lives
  • How early childhood displacement amounts to antisocial lifestyle in foster children
  • Adoption of teenagers: the struggles and joys associated within
  • A look into the undisclosed cases of rape violence amongst women in the military and how it impacts their lives and service
  • Substance abuse and how it affects parenting
  • Understanding the trauma associated with child-parent separation
  • How divorce positively impacts the health and lifestyle of children
  • A close analysis of the myths associated with Welfare mothers
  • Addressing the issue of substance abuse amongst teenagers
  • Death and how it impacts the collective well-being of the family
  • A study into family support as a viable way for alcohol recovery
  • Alcoholism and its impacts on a person’s psyche
  • How sponsors positively impact the lives of recovering addicts
  • A clinical study of anti-depressants and their current effectiveness
  • The breeding of social exclusion of children with Down syndrome
  • Why social and academic integration is important for children with Down syndrome
  • Depression and how family exacerbates it
  • Alcoholism: it impacts on social, family, and personal lifestyle
  • An analysis of the difference and similarities between Dyslexia and ADHD
  • Creating awareness for Dyslexic patients

Social Work Research Questions

Social works as a field of study fall within the social sciences, as a result of this the field of study deals with the use of questioning as an approach to arrive at a conclusive and reflective answer (empirical evidence). This is why research in this field deals with data collection, data analysis, experimentations, investigation, etc. The research questions asked when researching within social works are important as it’s through it that informative research is carried out and meanings derived through it. Here are some social work research questions.

  • How does trauma inform the education of children in foster homes?
  • The protest of police brutality, does it have the potential of promoting transformative change?
  • Why does society insist that divorce impacts the psyche of all children negatively
  • Is informed trauma in foster homes the primary cause of children disappearing from foster homes?
  • Does the implementation of learning curriculums that positively impacts Dyslexic students improve their academics?
  • Is trauma-informed learning reflective of parenting?
  • Do house and food insecurity impact the lives of foster children for life?
  • How does community violence have effects on the lives LGBT+ community?
  • What are the ways the criminal justice system is failing America’s social lifestyle?
  • What are the signs of identifying workplace trauma
  • Workplace violence: how can it be addressed?
  • How do poverty and scarcity affect the psychology of young children?
  • What are the ways through which the American healthcare system is failing minority groups
  • What are the ways the misuse of substances breeds addictive behaviors?
  • How to point out the early signs of depression in teenagers?
  • Who is at greater risk of child-parent separation?
  • What are the consequences of living with Dyslexia?
  • Why is depression diagnosed as a mental disorder?
  • What are the defining differences between Bipolar I and Bipolar II?
  • How can bipolar patients receive support?
  • What percentage of incarcerated adults is from minority groups?
  • What are the results of racial disparity in America?
  • How does America’s racial disparity manifest in the healthcare system?
  • What are the challenges experienced by minority kids in foster homes?
  • How can the American government support welfare parents more?
  • How can addiction be controlled?
  • How does alcohol abuse affect college students’ academic performance?
  • What are the ways community reentry proves challenging for formerly incarcerated people?
  • What are the physical, emotional, and psychological effects of pregnant incarcerated mothers?
  • How can cases within addiction be curbed in America?
  • What are the ways to approach America’s carceral system?
  • What are the ways nursing homes can be better equipped for old folks?
  • What are the social and psychological impacts of student loans?
  • How can assistance be extended to adults with learning disabilities?
  • How can America’s rise in obesity be addressed?

Human Services Research Paper Topics

Human services research papers also fall within the social work research topics ideas to look into. This area of social works essay topics deal with issues which are primarily related to human service, how it’s being impacted, and ways to understand and address some of its challenges. Human services research paper topics that fall within it include.

  • How America’s carceral system affects low-income and minority homes majorly.
  • Social integration of Down syndrome and Dyslexic people
  • How the government can improve welfare conditions
  • The negative psychological impacts of food banks
  • How food banks benefit the lives of many Americans.
  • How home violence affects children
  • Understanding the effects of high school bullying
  • Welfare workers and why they need therapy and support groups
  • How to build love in foster care
  • The practice of resilience amongst social workers
  • The effects of juvenile delinquency in America
  • Understanding America’s carceral shortcomings
  • Minority groups at the expense of America’s carceral system
  • Addressing the issue of homophobia in America
  • Homophobia and how it impacts LGBTQ+ adults
  • Factors contributing to family violence
  • Spousal violence and how to address it
  • Family cruelty and how it impacts lives
  • Undiagnosed cases of Bipolar and its effects
  • Misdiagnosed mental illness and its effects
  • Improving support systems for LGBTQ+ kids
  • Home insecurity and how it impacts the homeless
  • Bridging the disparity of formerly incarcerated people
  • Understanding gender inequality when dealing with incarcerated people
  • The failure of America’s correctional system
  • Incarceration: Reformed or abolished?
  • Police system: Reformed, defunded, or abolished?
  • Factors contributing to increase in youth depression
  • Unemployment and its effects on people
  • Similarities between juvenile delinquency and adult incarceration
  • Psychological impacts of child trafficking
  • Human trafficking and its psychological effects on victims
  • Addressing depression, anxiety, and panic in little children

Interesting Social Work Topics

Within the field of social works, there are some topics and issues that draw extra attention due to their uniqueness. These topics often make for interesting research topics as they often draw on several relevant but often neglected issues or topics that are not paid due attention to. There are so many interesting social work topics that talk within this category and some of them include.

  • Understanding the experiences of women living within shelter homes
  • The racial disparity prevalent in America’s food bank system
  • A study and understanding of the stigma and social relegations welfare mothers are subjected to.
  • The challenges of living with both parents suffering from Alzheimer’s
  • A sociological and environmental outlook into the academic transition from high school to college and how it manifests in the lives of students.
  • An analysis of the client-therapist relationship of psychiatric therapists
  • An evaluation of the sociological impact of including sex education in the high school curriculum
  • An in-depth analysis of the emotional and psychological effects of induced child labor
  • Psychological, emotional, and physical effects of abusive parenting
  • Verbal and physical abuse in families and how it manifests in the lives of children
  • How emotional and psychological abuse encourages low self-esteem
  • A study of children raised in abusive homes
  • How physical abuse affects spousal intimacy
  • A critical study of the learning challenges of disabled children
  • How inclusivity in the social system will impact disabled children
  • Why there’s the need to encourage more flexible social structures for disabled people
  • A case study of the inherent challenges of interracial marriages
  • A case of study of how a functional and inclusive healthcare system improve social growth
  • How conversion therapy negatively impacts the LGBTQ+ community
  • How religion impacts social workers interaction with social issues
  • A study of the prevalence of poverty in the American Deep South and the ways it impedes growth
  • Sustainability of wellness therapy
  • An in-depth analysis of how first-time menstrual experiences impacts teenage girls in foster homes
  • The relationship between teenagers, school, and the general society
  • The negative impacts of birth control laws
  • How abortion bans are leading to more psychological issues
  • How the increases in the cost of housing in America is affecting young millennials
  • How low paid labor propagates workplace abuse
  • The impacts of gender roles and cultural beliefs in marriages
  • Why America needs more rehabilitation centers than carceral systems
  • The relationship between welfare systems and low-income neighborhoods
  • How teenage pregnancy impacts teenage mothers
  • The growing effect and pressure of social media in the lives of teenage children

Controversial Topics in Social Work

Social worker’s research topics also look into areas within the field of study that are often regarded as controversial. These topics are referred to as so due to their nature of occurrence which usually has provoked significant public interest. When writing on controversial topics in social work in this field, here are some of the topics that fall well within this category.

  • Rising cases of drug abuse in low-income neighborhoods
  • How incarceration negatively impacts the psychological well-being of incarcerated people
  • The dangers of confinement and why it should be looked into
  • Drug vulnerability and how to help addicts
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy and how it enables social workers to relate more to their environment and situations
  • Hypnosis and its health benefits on an individual
  • Therapy for the less represented groups and why it’s important
  • A clear distinction between clinical depression and undiagnosed depression
  • Misdiagnosis: how it’s affecting the lives of mentally challenged people
  • Understanding ADHD and the stigmas associated with it
  • An investigative study into the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy to improve the livelihood of incarcerated people
  • Understanding adolescents development about kids in foster cares
  • The social effects of living within an immigrant home in America
  • Social workers remuneration and how it impacts their dedication and diligence to their work
  • The negative impact of child-parent legally signed separation and ways through which it can be contained
  • A qualitative study of dealing with Dyslexia as an adolescent
  • Catering safe spaces for minority groups and the impacts of community on their mental health.
  • Child poverty, food insecurity, house insecurity: how they impact the academic abilities of children
  • Examining the use of empathy to facilitate the improvement of the social work sector
  • Why there needs to be more qualitative examining of foster homes for child safety and peace
  • The positive impacts within the foster home system and why it should be championed
  • Understanding sexual health education for incarcerated women
  • Addressing violence as a social problem within the correctional system
  • Court sanctioned confinement, how it promotes mental illness rather than facilitate correction
  • The hidden and unnoticed trauma prevalent in counselors and therapists
  • The continuous cycle of therapy: why therapists need therapy
  • The need to facilitate awareness on the stigma associated with AIDS
  • The social and health implication of abortion ban on women in low-income neighborhoods
  • The psychological, health, and social implications of abortion ban on rape survivors
  • The unreported cases of abuse in homes and how it propagates violence
  • Trafficking: the impacts of it on the social well-being of a society
  • Exploring the challenges of the hurricanes in low-income neighborhoods
  • The hidden trauma of hurricane and flood survivors

Social Work Thesis Topics

As a field of study on its own, social work will require you to write series of papers, research assignments and essays on a select topic of your choice. This is also compulsory if you are doing your master’s program or your Ph.D. You’ll be required to carry out evaluative or qualitative research on your area of interest. Some interesting social work essay topics to consider include the following ones.

  • The psychological impacts of adult children of emotionally immature parents
  • The treatment plan for diagnosed drug addiction
  • Navigating the challenges of visually impaired learners in the academia
  • Evaluating child abuse in foster care
  • The emotional effect of transitioning into nursing homes
  • A study of parenthood in immigrant families
  • The psychological weight of child abuse
  • Understanding child labor and its intricacies
  • Encouraging cognitive-behavioral therapy for foster parents
  • Trauma: Understanding the challenges of the foster kid
  • Abortion illegality as the increasing cause of teenage pregnancy
  • Understanding displacement and its nuances
  • The distinction between the displacement of children in war areas and children in foster homes
  • The psychological impacts of growing within a war zone
  • The barrier to working faced by formerly incarcerated people
  • Juvenile delinquency: how it harms rather than benefits children
  • Examining the American rehabilitation system
  • Examining the gender disparity in correctional facilities
  • The use of empathy: social workers in the discharge of duty
  • How to address compassion fatigue amongst counselors and social workers
  • The effects of structural racism on the welfare systems
  • Understanding depression from the welfare mom’s perspective
  • Myths associated with ADHD
  • Integrating compassion in social works
  • Building an inclusive system for foster kids
  • The disability challenges in the healthcare system
  • Disability disparity in the social works department
  • Future attachment styles in foster kids
  • Codependency: a feature of displacement
  • Home emotional unavailability as the rising cause for codependency
  • Understanding interdependency for the codependent
  • Distinctions between codependency and interdependency in youth adults
  • Prepatrum depression in expecting mothers

Social Work Topics for Presentation

One of the social work project ideas to look into while writing your paper is the possibility of including a presentation. As a practical field, social works research requires some level of presentation included. Here are some social work topics for presentation.

  • The historical development of social works
  • Importance of social works in school
  • Importance of therapy for teenagers
  • An exploration of challenges faced in forensic social works
  • Understanding the struggles of minority groups
  • A study of abuse in middle-class homes
  • Importance of finance in sustaining social works
  • The overall effect of compassion fatigue
  • Challenges of modern-day social works
  • Psychological impacts of child drug abuse
  • Importance of inclusivity in social works
  • Understanding same-sex relationships for the social worker
  • Importance of drug sensitization in high school
  • The abuse of drugs in low-income neighborhoods as an economic factor
  • Depression stereotypes
  • Effects and impacts of spirituality as a social works technique
  • Damages of psychological violence
  • Domestic violence and its impacts
  • Role of social workers in the prevention of drug abuse
  • Role or foster parents in the prevention of violence
  • Role of foster homes in creating a safe space
  • Positive impacts of foster parenting
  • Understanding trauma for the social worker
  • Importance of diversity in the social works sector
  • Understanding the neglect-syndrome of foster kids
  • Adolescent transitioning and trauma of LGBTQ+ children
  • Trauma and juvenile delinquency
  • Juvenile delinquency and adult incarceration
  • Importance of free healthcare for foster children and children in low-income neighborhoods
  • A study of sexually violated children
  • Understanding the impacts of incest in homes
  • The victim syndrome and how to better understand it
  • Understanding Stockholm syndrome

We have provided above a list of interesting social work topics that social science students, whether they are college students or master’s students, can choose from. But if you are hoping to meet up with your college or university essay deadlines, there are professional ENL US writers, including some of the best professors for hire online. They can assist you with fast and top-notch essays that will get you high grades all at a cheap rate. You will be provided with custom, amazing assignments that will attain you high grades.

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social work topics to research

256 In Depth Social Work Research Topics To Get Top Grade

social work research topics

Social work is a practice which discusses social change and development. It requires the understanding of people’s behavior, economic conditions, social and cultural institutions, etc., to engage in meaningful interactions with people on individual, family, group, and community levels. As a discipline, it concerns itself with these levels to grow the society. The discipline encompasses fields like political science, sociology, human biology, psychology, economics, community development, health, even law. Social workers are responsible for social change as they help the vulnerable and complex people. They also help liberate violated persons or those recovering from abuse, amongst others. As a student in a college or university, before accessing the more than 200 social work research topics, how would you structure your research?

Outline And Structure For A Social Work Dissertation

While you need to find a topic from these social work project ideas or research term papers, you also need to learn how to structure your research. Writing a research paper for a high grade is not an easy task. You should abide by the following structure for your social work dissertation:

  • Front Page: Your front page is your title page which has your table of content, abstract, dedication, acknowledgment page, and any other essential subject that must be known before an average reader digs into your dissertation.
  • Introduction: Your introduction is the fundamental explanation of your topic and the problem of research you want to tackle. You should also make your research statements and establish the goals and significance of your chosen social work research topic.
  • Literature Review: This is the part of research where your knowledge of the chosen topic is revealed. If you lack adequate knowledge on the topic, it will be deduced here, and that’s because you haven’t combed through relevant sources online and offline to boost your understanding of your chosen study of discussion. You must discuss the theoretical background of your research, review related existing sources, and critically explain how they relate to your research in this section.
  • State Your Research Methodology: Some professors would want your research methodology to appear before your literature review – whatever works. You must mention the research mediums, make statements on why you choose the method and explain the value of that method in the course of research. You can also write about the limitations of the method.
  • Results of Study: This is where you discuss your key points which will be divided into different chapters. You get to cite your ethical observations and discuss everything you need to. If you need to compare and contrast, you should do it here. Note that your arguments must be clear and well structured.
  • Conclusion: This comes after you’ve made your arguments. You’ll summarize the argument and make them brief for your conclusion. This conclusion also includes your resolution on the study.
  • Reference List: This is where you mention every source used while writing the paper. This will show that you truly did a research and you created an original work, free of plagiarism.

With this structure in mind, these are some social work research topics ideas for you:

Social Work Research Questions

As earlier noted, the field engages the public. Before you start with your research, depending on your area of study, you must have some questions the research intends to answer. These questions are found in the research questions section and they could be:

  • Why should anyone be a social worker?
  • Does protests, violent or otherwise, achieve transformational change?
  • Examine ways trauma inform education for kids in foster homes
  • Divide the way implementing different learning curriculums can help patients with autism
  • How does divorce impact the mental health of children?
  • How does loss inform family crisis?
  • How does loss affect family social interaction?
  • Examine how food security could guarantee safety for foster children
  • Discuss how community violence often traumatize members of the LGBTQ
  • Discuss how the US criminal justice system is a failure
  • Does the American lifestyle truly matter in the face of racial justice?
  • Examine the symptoms of workplace trauma
  • Discuss rape trauma symptoms and the help social workers can render
  • Discuss the systems through which workplace violence has been best addressed
  • Examine how the minority groups are faring under the repressive American healthcare systems
  • Evaluate the significant disability of parenting on orphans
  • Discuss why children try to escape from foster homes
  • Examine the psychology of juvenile jails
  • Discuss the challenges of training children with disability
  • Evaluate the percentage of obesity and its impact amongst a group of people.

Social Worker Research Topics

As a student of psychology, law, sociology, human biology, and other areas of study, you need to understand the day-to-day lives of people. To do so, you can embark on research on the field. These are social worker research topics and suggestions for your college degree:

  • What are the personal talents a social worker must possess?
  • Evaluate the challenges of the 21st-century social worker which was inexistent until now
  • Growth in the ease of carrying out social workers today
  • Examine the significance of group therapy for Families
  • Discuss the essentiality of group therapy for clinically depressed children
  • Examine what child support is in details
  • Speak with 5 families and discuss their understanding of child support
  • Examine how adults with a disability are treated in any two states of your choice
  • Examine how children with disabilities are affected through mobility
  • Discuss the impact of stigma on ADHD patients
  • Basic challenge of mental health in the US today
  • Discuss the trend in the evolution of mental health in the world
  • Social regulations affect on autistics
  • Discuss how disability affects any age group of your choice
  • Evaluate how homelessness affects social integration
  • Discuss the way of living with bipolar people
  • Examine the rate of potential suicide in the military and offer solutions
  • Discuss the trends of abuse in the military and proffer solutions
  • Dangers of misdiagnosis
  • How to prevent the rise in street children

Social Work Thesis Topics

To attain high grades in your university, your research must be of equally high quality. It’s better to hire a writer to get your custom research paper written for money. Getting on the research on your own may be complex, especially when there are no custom topics. With these social work thesis topics, you have a lot of creative ideas to write your project on:

  • Evaluate the social impacts of bullying on children
  • Evaluate the long-term psychological influence of bullying
  • Discuss the danger of child abuse in foster care
  • Examine the psychological effects of abuse in disabled adults
  • Discuss the complexities around child labor
  • Give an overview of child labor scandal in any company of your choice
  • Examine the crisis of parenthood amongst immigrants
  • Examine the emotional consequences of loss on a family
  • Discuss the educational challenges of visually impaired learners
  • Evaluate the debate for and against abortion
  • Evaluate the crisis of trauma in foster kids in social care centers
  • Examine the consequence of displacement in war-torn areas
  • Discuss the psychological consequences on war-torn countries
  • Examine the literature on how to approach fatigue amongst social workers
  • Discuss the best way to approach structural racism in any sector of your choice
  • Examine the role of correctional facilities in correcting criminality
  • Basis of the American rehab system
  • Discuss two family systems theories and how they can be applied
  • Examine how juvenile delinquency affects children
  • Discuss rehabilitation centers as an isolation center
  • Examine the consequence of the lack of empathy amongst wardens
  • What are your thoughts about the death sentence?
  • Would you say that incarcerated people are doomed for life?
  • Comment on the role Romania prisoners play in their theatre Industry
  • Examine the role of empathy amongst social care workers
  • Discuss the role of empathy amongst counselors
  • Structural racism affect on Healthcare systems in the UK
  • Discuss the way foster homes can be made safer for kids
  • Examine how to protect kids from induced trauma due to displacement
  • Best ways to address how homelessness affects children’s academic strength
  • Examine how child abuse lead to academic Disability
  • Evaluate how child poverty leads to the rise in child crimes
  • Illustrate how sexual health education could help teenagers avoid unwanted pregnancy
  • Importance of therapists in maintaining a healthier mental system
  • Social reaction to AIDS in the 1980s and now
  • Impact of human trafficking on the society
  • Discuss the social implications of rape
  • Discuss the social implications of stigmatizing rape survivors
  • Evaluate the challenge of AIDS awareness
  • Discuss the growth in the challenges disabled people face in today’s civilized societies.

Human Services Research Paper Topics

Social workers attend to individual and community needs. The average social worker is dedicated first, to other people. This is why human services research paper topics are essential to choosing a resonating topic on how human existence is important before human challenges can be dealt with. If you want to impress your teachers, you can write on any of these:

  • Illustrate how a food bank could be of help to Americans
  • Examine the household policies of any two presidents and how they affected or helped the public
  • Discuss the need for therapy amongst welfare workers
  • Evaluate the practicality of resilience amongst weary social care workers
  • Discuss the challenges of juvenile delinquency in the UK
  • Illustrate how best it is to understand the effect of child abuse
  • Illustrate the best way to build real love amongst foster care kids
  • Critically review the challenges of homophobia in the UK
  • Critically review the challenges of homophobia in Africa
  • Comment on the criticism against Dave Chappelle on his LGTBQ comments
  • Discuss the factors that lead to violence amongst families
  • Discuss what spousal violence is
  • Examine the best method to attend to family cruelty
  • Best ways to show minority groups love
  • Examine the best way to reduce unemployment and its consequence
  • Discuss the loss of self-esteem in trafficked persons
  • Draw a comparison between incarceration and juvenile living
  • Discuss the problem of the US’s correctional facilities
  • Ways to invalidate bullying in schools
  • Examine the best way to address anxiety and panicking in kids.

Interesting Social Work Topics

There are a series of interesting subjects in social work. These are not necessarily subjects that will make you laugh, they are serious, and could even be controversial, but fascinating to understudy in social work. If you need interesting social work topics, consider these:

  • Choose three states and discuss the situation of juvenile delinquency there
  • Examine the logic fueling separation of adult and juvenile delinquents
  • Discuss the logic of calling depression a mental disorder
  • Impacts of dyslexia
  • Evaluate the contrast between Bipolar I and II
  • Examine the consequences of racism in America’s institutions
  • Discuss the factors that fuel racism in America
  • Evaluate the challenge of gender equality in the workplace
  • Factors leading to physical and emotional trauma amongst incarcerated pregnant women
  • Effects of alcohol abuse on children from violent homes
  • Examine the measures of social inclusion in departed societies
  • Discuss the solutions to drug abuse in America
  • Comment on the cases of prisoners accused of a crime after more than 2 decades
  • Comment on the psychological effects of being in jail
  • Discuss the effect of alcohol abuse on university students
  • Examine the challenge of social stigma after release from jail
  • Discuss the disposition of people to social care workers
  • Examine the stories behind the largest human trafficking network
  • Evaluate the challenges of modern slavery
  • Discuss the institutional remedies to avoid institutional slavery
  • Effects of child neglect on social lifestyle
  • Discuss why parents neglect their children
  • Examine the best recommendations towards healing for violent families
  • Examine the ethical conditions of modern workplaces
  • Critically review the effects of taking a child to child support
  • Discuss the best way to speak with a grieving person
  • Examine the factors motivating elder abuse
  • Evaluate the symptoms of grief
  • Discuss why emotional support is essential during grief counseling
  • Discuss the ethics of a counselor during support periods.

Controversial Topics In Social Work

You can as well consider controversial topics in social work for your next project or paper. These are also argumentative topics that may require you to take a stand and argue your sentiments. You can consider these topics.

  • Examine individual therapy and group therapy for autistic patients
  • Discuss the group discussion and role-play benefit in therapy amongst kids
  • Evaluate the measures to mitigate stereotypes against depressed persons
  • Discuss the best way to address stigma
  • Critically review PTSD amidst veterans
  • Discuss the set of people who are most susceptible to drug abuse
  • Evaluate the need to support alcohol-addicted families
  • Illustrate the best way to prevent drug addictions
  • Discuss the myths about substance abuse in middle age people
  • Examine the challenge of workaholics who have no time for family
  • Discuss the challenges faced during suicide prevention discussions
  • Evaluate the need for sensitization to halt trafficking
  • Discuss the role of social workers in ending civil wars
  • Discuss the role of social workers in countering bullying
  • Discuss the challenges facing support groups
  • Examine the functions of parents in approaching dyslexia
  • Discuss how to help build social resilience spirit in workers
  • Examine how to attend to panic for both adolescents and adults
  • Discuss the variety of child abuse in orphanages
  • Examine the variety of child abuse
  • Abuse the LGTBQ community face
  • Discuss the psychological consequences of human trafficking on traffickers
  • Critically review the common challenges faced by members of the LGBTQ in schools
  • Discuss ways to help antisocial students
  • Rationalize the reasons to adopt teenagers
  • Discuss the challenges with child-parent separation
  • Examine the challenges with welfare mothers and the factors exacerbating it
  • Discuss the major ways substance abuse impact parenting
  • Evaluate the best ways to approach trauma offer death in the family
  • Discuss the effects of alcoholism on the mental ability of individuals.

Social Work Essay Topics

As a field with its uniqueness, there are a variety of undiscussed topics. You don’t need to engage in long research or paper for some of these topics, you simply need to discuss them and drive public attention to them.

  • Examine the way of life and experiences of women existing in shelter homes
  • Discuss the experiences of inferior races in America and the challenge of the black people
  • Evaluate the level of racism to an Asian American person and a black American person and draw your conclusions
  • Discuss the environmental challenges that affect students’ academic abilities in schools
  • Discuss the sociological challenges that affect students lifestyle as well as their sense of self
  • Critically illustrate the psychological, social, emotional, and physical changes a pregnant woman experiences before and after childbirth
  • Critically review the psychological and emotional impact of low self-esteem
  • Challenges facing disabled people’s education
  • Discuss the effect of verbal and physical abuse in schools and how it affects concentration on class
  • Comment: should parents flog their kids, even for good reasons, and explain why it is normal or otherwise
  • Discuss the challenges physical abuse cause in a couple’s intimacy
  • Evaluate the category of sexual physical violence which is mutually agreed upon to spice up sexual experience
  • Critically analyze the role of inclusivity in improving social lifestyle
  • Discuss the most fundamental challenges that occur in interracial marriages
  • Analyze the role of religious diversity amongst social workers to promote religious Integration
  • Discuss the role of cultural diversity in the Workplace to achieve cultural integration into the broader society
  • Evaluate how the average white person victimize people of any minority group
  • Discuss the experiences of girls when they first see their menses: evaluate the panic or fear
  • Critically discuss the consequences of the high cost of housing in the UK
  • Critically analyze the negative effects of birth control policies on the UK
  • Critically analyze the consequences of the illegalization of abortion in any African country
  • Discuss how paying less for labor equate modern-day slavery
  • Examine the role of rehabilitation centers in Integrating healthier people
  • Discuss how teenage pregnancy affects the education and career of teenage mothers
  • Discuss the role of confinement in the family and its consequences
  • Evaluate what drug vulnerability means
  • Evaluate the causes of drug abuse in poor homes
  • Discuss how drugs are a means of survival for some addicts
  • Evaluate the long-term consequences of incarceration
  • Examine how hypnosis is an essential feature of therapy and argue if it should still be used during therapy sessions
  • Discuss the role of cognitive therapy in stabilizing people and its essence on foster care
  • Evaluate the challenges of misdiagnosis and how it affects mentally dysfunctional persons
  • Discuss the difference between undiagnosed depression and clinical depression: discuss the factors that lead to them and how they operate
  • Effects of being an immigrant in Poland
  • Review the circumstances immigrants exist in the UK
  • Compare and contrast the cost of living in two states and how it affects families
  • Critically discuss the role of the social worker in the 21st century
  • Critically analyze what child support means to unwilling parents
  • Analyze the ways of creating education and awareness for people with dyslexia
  • Discuss the factors that lead to social isolation amongst kids.

Social Work Research Topics Ideas

For your professional degree, you can discover existing topics to build on for your research. You can even discover new social work research ideas from the following:

  • Discuss therapy differences for kids and adults
  • Examine what leads to abuse
  • Discuss why countries have different ages of maturity
  • Strategies of reporting abuse
  • Evaluate the ways to prevent child abuse
  • Elucidate the method of developing social services
  • Review the need to work with HIV patients
  • Motivations to care for the homeless
  • Discuss the isolation of any community of your choice
  • Examine how poor financial abilities lead to alcoholism
  • Discuss the factors leading to the rise of rape
  • Examine sexual assault history in Hollywood
  • Discuss how to work with impaired people
  • Role of social workers in contributing to homelessness
  • Examine the best ways to protect sexually exploited kids
  • Discuss the best way to approach traumatized and trafficked persons
  • Challenges of low-income families during times of protests
  • Discuss the consequences of the BLM movement globally
  • Examine Government response to any social crisis of your choice
  • Evaluate how religious practices affect social work
  • Discuss the best ways to help low-income earners with therapy
  • Critically review any two digital therapy sites
  • Give a connection between welfare worker burnout and uninterested foster care mothers
  • Identify the best way to develop emotional intelligence
  • Discuss how the language barrier affect socialization
  • Evaluate why some people are reluctant to speak with therapists
  • Discuss the challenges facing mental health conditions today
  • Evaluate why morally inclined persons abuse people
  • Give a detailed overview of how surrogacy works
  • Discuss how mental health affects overall health
  • Discuss the best ways to raise children
  • Discuss the best way to live with a child with autism
  • Best way to integrate a child with a disability
  • Challenges rising from physical abuse
  • Examine the challenges mitigating against reduction in emotional abuse
  • Discuss the role of social workers in family abuse
  • Analyze the importance of recreational activities as therapy
  • Analyze how pedophiles process their thoughts
  • Analyze the mental conditions of sexual violators
  • Give an overview of the R. Kelly sexual crime case.

Social Work Topics For Presentation

If you want to get practical with your assignment or project, you can consider a presentation. Your presentation can cut across any of these:

  • Give a forensic analysis of how social work works
  • Analyze the history of social works
  • Study the trends one social work
  • Discuss the role of police in social work
  • Discuss the role of governments in social work
  • Analyze the importance of therapy for social workers
  • Analyze the essence of therapy for teenagers
  • Discuss the gap therapy covers in broken families
  • Evaluate cases of adult abuse
  • Analyze the consequences of drug abuse for adults
  • Discuss the struggles of marginalized groups
  • Examine the contemporary structure of social work
  • Discuss the emotional impact of rape
  • Analyze the role of juvenile delinquency in rehabilitation
  • Discuss how foster homes create safe spaces
  • Evaluate the transition to the LGTBQ community
  • Examine foster parenting in detail, including impacts
  • Discuss the consequences of living in low-cost neighborhoods
  • Examine the trauma of raped victims
  • Examine the role of social workers for drug addicts
  • Discuss the significance of free healthcare for a group of people, state which
  • Examine the strategies of integrating kids into society
  • Discuss what being antisocial mean
  • Identify the causes and consequences of Stockholm Syndrome
  • Critically express psychological effects of incest.

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206 Social Work Research Topics

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It is always noble and never useless to make efforts to contribute to society. One of the best ways to do that is to ace your studies first. For that, you will need to conduct good research. It would help if you had a solid social work topic to make your research impactful. Today is the first day of your life to come and  write the best research paper  in your class.

Table of Contents

Social Research Topics: Administrative, Elderly, Youth and More

If you are still looking for some  research paper topics  for inspiration, we are here to help. Today, we have 204 Social Work Research Topics to make your day and research a happy beginning.

Want us to do the job for you? All you have to do is contact us and say:  write my paper !

Social Work Research Topics For Administration and Management

social work research topics for administration and management

  • Initiatives to improve public life quality in rural areas
  • Organizing activities to enhance efforts to raise awareness about climate change
  • The roles of administration and management to control and manage social disputes
  • Influences of social support and stress on the public behavior
  • Exploration of knowledge relating to interprofessional  collaboration among graduates
  • Intervention models used by social workers for the improvement of social structure
  • Conflict management in organizations and workplaces
  • Conflict management in childcare center work teams
  • Community management in housing societies
  • Social representations of gambling and how to manage its impact on society
  • The decision-making process in stress-induced organizational environments
  • The specificity of social work within a multidisciplinary team in a school environment
  • The ancient art of storytelling. How can administrators organize such events to bring out social harmony
  • Social disaster management in localities and SOPs to help the public avoid panicking
  • Social management of a disaster: a multidimensional analysis
  • The identity construction of street youth
  • Social representations and public policies
  • Fight against poverty as a social responsibility
  • The case of  non-governmental organizations  and community groups
  • The role of social workers in civil societies
  • Influence of roads on the variance of reproductive success
  • The direct action of anti-authoritarian groups working in California
  • Privatization and Commercialization of Social security in the US
  • Role and contribution of medical social work in university hospitals
  • An exploratory study of social support. The process leading to accommodation for senior citizens
  • Duty to provide shelter, food and clothing for every citizen of society

Find our guide on  writing a research paper introduction .

Social Work Research Topics About The Elderly

social work research topics about the elderly

  • The process of obtaining consent from older adults during social interventions
  • Building the well-being of seniors in the European territories
  • Housing and accommodation of homeless seniors
  • Various indicators of the well-being of the elders
  • The delivery of training and information sessions aimed at the well-being of seniors
  • Aspects of end-of-life well-being among older adults in The United States
  • Promoting the needs, protecting the assets and defending the interests of senior citizens
  • The offer of products and services that meet the needs of the elderly
  • Facilities such as insurance, senior citizen benefits and discounts
  • The representation of elderly members of society by governments, institutions and other groups
  • Non-profit agencies. Carrying out projects to identify and meet the needs of senior citizens
  • Resources for the welfare of the seniors
  • Studies highlight the importance of strong social ties among older adults
  • Adult education for the improvement of elderly citizens
  • Lower health and well-being indexes in older people without close relatives
  • The well-being of middle-aged adults and older people without partners or children
  • Seminars and events to gather the information and opinions of elders
  • Practitioners, policymakers and researchers to improve the health and welfare of the elderly
  • The development and evaluation of the  Mental Health Policy  Assessment Tool for
  • The mental health of elderly citizens
  • Initiatives to check policies and programs based on the values and needs of seniors
  • Understanding the values and concerns of seniors
  • Factors that may influence the elderly’s mental health
  • Importance of employing senior interns. They have more understanding of the world and experience of human emotion
  • Understanding older people as they have different needs
  • Examples of health care reorientation for senior citizens
  • Societal preferences and needs of aging populations

Looking for high school research paper ideas instead? 297 High School Research Paper Topics to Top The Class

Youth Social Work Research Topics

youth social work research topics

  • Sociology at the service of social work among young students
  • Debates about social work in schools and colleges
  • Social work through debates and discussions by raising awareness of social issues
  • Managing uncertainty and risk about child protection
  • Rights of students and the need to raise awareness in the regard
  • Issues and practices in expression and creation workshops in schools
  • Students working on social issues
  • The institutes that provide financial help to students engaged in social work
  • Environmental education and social work
  • Prepare students to do social work to become better versions of themselves
  • Encouraging youth to think about public service
  • Education of young women in underdeveloped countries
  • The involvement of students in social work. Students that have experienced a mental health problem
  • Immigration policy  and the economic integration of international students
  • Problems and Solutions Retained for international students in The United States
  • The cause of women over the centuries. Has their condition improved or gotten worse?
  • Quality of life and drugs. For young people dealing with post-recovery trauma
  • Youth court and child protection. Judging and decision-making in disputes among young people
  • Programs to prevent drug abuse and addiction among young people
  • Programs to inspire students and thought. Reflecting on the orientation of social work
  • A student’s journey from structured education to a model with social goals
  • Awareness and solution to the challenges for parents of teenage students. How can students help these efforts
  • Group intervention with adolescent clients of a social services center
  • Youth and social practices
  • Young people and social work
  • Being young and exposed to a technological disaster
  • Parental involvement in the context of youth protection
  • The point of view of workers working in youth centers on parental involvement
  • The experience of parents living in California with autistic children
  • Social functioning and coping strategies used by adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
  • Social policy and regional development of students
  • Method and design of a home adaptation guide
  • The academic journey of university students diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder
  • Supporting the motivation of Aboriginal female students in their university studies
  • The effects of an internship. International students enrolled in an adult education center
  • Students with disabilities in the context of a university internship

Also related:  Argumentative Research Topics : Religion, Health, Economics, etc.

Social Work Research Topics Related To Mental Health

social work research topics related to mental health

  • The contribution of social work to the therapeutic relationship. The recovery of people with a severe mental disorder
  • Factors that influence recovery in older people with severe mental illness
  • Consequences of macro social catastrophes on psychosocial health
  • Environmental control, behaviors and feelings of the elderly
  • Factors that help or hinder intervention. Young people with one or more mental disorders
  • The perception of young homosexual people. The factors that influence their state of mental health
  • Post-disaster recovery, mental health and resilience: the role of public health organizations.
  • Impacts of floods on mental health in South Asian countries
  • The recovery process. People who have developed a mental disorder after being victims of violent crime
  • The relationships between self-stigma, self-esteem, self-efficacy and recovery in people with mental disorders
  • The practical initiatives in social work with mental health aspects
  • Role of social media in the rise of psychological problems. The endeavors to overcome the dilemma
  • Attachment styles, family context and severe behavioral disorders
  • Implementation of a support program: Parents helping young people with a mental disorder
  • People with severe mental disorders and their influencing factors
  • The experience of parents with an adult child with borderline personality disorder
  • Social awareness of Histrionic Personality Disorder

Related services: Get  Medical Paper Writing Service  For Academic Distinction .

Social Justice Research Topics

social justice research topics

  • Significant milestones in the history of social justice
  • Solid contributions to social justice by social workers
  • The standard of reasonableness through surveys on values
  • Anthropological elements that help social justice.
  • Role of philosophical understanding to promote social justice
  • Truth, Justice and The American Way: An original slogan or a sham?
  • The need for social justice on international grounds
  • Need for social justice to have a fair globalized environment
  • Social work in the global supply chains
  • The future of social work
  • The crucial role of social justice in international labor standards
  • International employment standards and the importance of social justice
  • What side of political economy serves social justice better? Socialism or Capitalism?
  • Use of the Word Justice and Meaning of Justice and its critical importance. Making the world a better and more liveable place
  • Social justice and the community structure
  • Economic analysis of profit and investment with moral strings attached
  • Cultural prejudice holding back social justice
  • Role of cultural understanding to improve the application of social justice
  • Social Justice, Civil Sense and Education
  • Social justice and rules of recognition
  • The universality of the humanitarian law
  • Moral responsibilities of judicial office
  • Evolution of social legislation in Europe and the Americas in the nineteenth century
  • Social Justice in Post-Revolution France compared to the monarch-era
  • Social justice and subjective rights
  • Public interest or humanitarian mission
  • On what basis can a sociological explanation base on the norms of justice?
  • Believing in justice: from psychological comfort to ideology
  • Religious values behind social justice
  • Importance of religion in improving human life
  • The action of the public authorities in matters of social justice
  • Different conceptions and perceptions of social justice
  • Economic and social inequalities and their evolution

Seeking help with your research:  Order Now  at Paper Perk .

Social Responsibility Research Topics

social responsibility research topics

  • Building and implementing an action plan for restructuring the local community
  • Communities and local deployment
  • Risk management and corporate social responsibility
  • The need for social responsibility during the recurrence of a natural calamity
  • International Labor Organization. Importance of improving the work culture
  • What CEOs can do to improve work culture at a multinational organization
  • Social responsibility to stop employee persecution in underdeveloped and developing countries
  • The Green Paper on corporate social responsibility
  • The specificities of the European approach to customer services representation
  • The genesis of corporate social responsibility and evolution over the years
  • Elements and aspects of the concept of corporate social responsibility
  • Aspects and elements of the green economy
  • Layman’s duty to fight corruption
  • United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection: Importance and application
  • International standards for gender rights
  • Violation of gender rights in countries of the Indian Subcontinent
  • The values of influence of the practices in companies: The degree of responsibility
  • Corporate social responsibility and profit-making
  • Policy evaluation as a social process
  • Theoretical issues and evolution of customer service responsibility
  • Declaration of the International Labor Organization
  • International standards relating to labor law
  • International standards relating to social justice
  • International standards relating related to customer services

If you are an aspiring businessman: 260 Best  Business Research Topics  might pique your interest .

Social Work Research Topics: HealthCare

social work research topics healthcare

  • Group work, the health awareness initiative from the pupils in the universities
  • Situate the intervention of professionals in the health and social field
  • Discovering different professions and pursuits of social health studies
  • Using digital technology in activities in the health services
  • The first level of knowledge of the health and social work collaboratives
  • Questioning in health-social situated with the technological approach
  • Health and social sciences in the time of technological boom
  • Artificial Intelligence is helping health care on massive levels
  • Quality, safety and relevance of care
  • Social work to spread awareness on the prevention and control of viral diseases
  • Health and complementary health insurance
  • Child and adolescent health
  • Adult health and awareness about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
  • Elderly health and aging: Care for the elderly in the post-pandemic era
  • Mental health and prevention and control suicide ratio
  • Financing and pricing of health establishments
  • Role of social workers to provide alternatives to conventional hospitalization
  • Evaluation of the national health strategy
  • Employment and income of health social workers
  • Conditions of exercise and work of health professionals
  • Training of medical social workers and health professionals
  • Topics to cover the areas of health problems in social sectors
  • Health and social matters: Need for the optional technological education

Finding a title for your research paper? Please read  this blog ; it might help you.

Criminal Justice Social Work Research Topics

criminal justice social work research topics

  • Social work to enforce fair and honest criminal justice
  • Efforts to make a mentally better society to avoid critical crimes such as murder and assault
  • Role of social workers to improve the delivery of criminal justice
  • Research related to the effects of the conviction
  • Social responsibility to understand compatible languages. Science and justice in terms of a layman
  • Social work to improve the quality of Justice and Quality Standards for Analytical Laboratories
  • Role of social work in search of a new balance in procedural law
  • Social work activities. Efforts involving monitoring the performance of the criminal justice system

Talking of crime and punishment, we have some  legal research topics  to offer you.

Environmental Social Work Topics

environmental social work topics

  • Social vulnerability and crises
  • Environmental intervention in social work
  • What we know about the consequences of flooding in various studies
  • Social workers faced with the demand for environmental justice
  • Social professions put to the test the environment
  • Social work and consideration of “living” in environmental problems
  • Ecology and social work: Initiatives to save the planet earth
  • Importance of education and training: social work in the fields of environmental sciences
  • Socio-political debates for ecological sustainability
  • Transformation of social policies to secure the environment and control global warming
  • Environment-sustaining activities to perform on the event of International Social Work Day
  • Co-constructing a New Eco-Social World to leave a better world behind

From writing the introduction to writing the conclusion for your research paper, your tasks could be complex. But one of the biggest challenges is to find the perfect social work research topic first. We hope this blog will work like a muse, and you won’t have to worry a minute more. You can visit our website if you still have any confusion, concerns, or questions.  Our writers  offering the most professional research writing services in the USA, are there to help.

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140 Amazing Social Work Research Topics for Students

Table of Contents

If you are a student who is pursuing a degree in social work, then during your course of study your professor will for sure ask you to submit a social work research paper. Usually, while giving the research assignments, your professors will provide a list of social work research topics for you to choose from. In case, your professors fail to provide the topics list, you need to explore and spot a good topic for your research paper. Basically, it is a challenging process to search and find an ideal research paper topic .

Therefore, to help you out in finding a good topic, here, in this blog post, we have added a list of excellent social work research topics and ideas along with some topic selection tips. In case, you run short of ideas, take help from this blog post.

What is a Social Work Research Paper?

It is an academic paper that is composed on any social work topics after performing in-depth research. Basically, social work research is a kind of investigation that is done in compliance with scientific methods. In simple terms, it can also be identified as the application of a research method that is primarily used to fix the problems faced by social workers.

The ultimate aim of the social work research paper is to widen the social work knowledge of students. Besides that, it also aims to identify accurate solutions for the real-time troubles that are present in society. Your professors will mainly ask you to write this academic paper at the end of the course to evaluate how well you have gained knowledge of social work concepts.

Social Work Research Paper Topic Selection Tips

In the research paper writing process, topic selection is the first and most important step. As the topic plays a vital role in the success of your research paper, at the time of topic selection, you should be more careful. Find here, some key topic selection tips that will help you in identifying a good social work research paper topic.

  • Always choose a unique and practical topic that matches your field of interest.
  • Give preference to a topic that breaks social stereotypes.
  • Go with a topic that is flexible to conduct research and analysis.
  • Select a topic that is associated with social work application theories and principles.
  • Pick a social work research question that allows you to generate reasonable solutions or arguments.
  • Give importance to a topic that has extensive information and many sources of reference and practical examples.
  • Avoid picking frequently discussed topics from the field of social work.
  • Finalize the topic only if it satisfies the social work research paper writing guidelines shared by your university or professor.

After you selected a topic for your academic paper, discuss it with your supervisor and get approval. Seeking advice from supervisors before you begin writing the paper will help you to improve the quality of your writing and get impressive grades.

See Also – Top Sociology Research Topics and Ideas for Students

List of the Best Social Work Research Paper Topics

Are you struggling to find a good topic for your social work research paper? Cool! Just explore the entire list presented below and spot a topic that syncs with your interest. In the list, you can find numerous social work research topics and ideas related to different trending issues that exist in our society.

Top Social Work Research Topics

  • What is the role of a social worker in end-of-life decisions?
  • Explain how social workers can prevent school dropout.
  • Discuss the influence of adolescence’s physical changes on the psyche of children.
  • Analyze the impact of media on preschool behavior.
  • What are the effects of parents’ drug use on their children?
  • Describe the role of social work in helping students to build their value system.
  • Explain how to prevent stereotypes related to depression.
  • Write about the historical development of social work.
  • Analyze the effect of being a workaholic on the family.
  • Explain the causes and prevention of youth recidivism.
  • Discuss the effects of bullying on preschool students.
  • Describe the role of social workers in preventing teenage pregnancies.
  • A study on women who have sexually addictive spouses.
  • Explain the role of social workers in handling children with disabilities.
  • Analyze the risks of HIV among women.
  • Measures to counteract condemning stereotypes with regard to depression (explaining and highlighting the biological mechanisms underlying it)
  • General Considerations for working with children with developmental disabilities
  • Most efficient re-education strategies
  • Attitudes of correctional officers towards the mental health of incarcerated individuals.
  • The significance of group therapy at foster homes.
  • Absence of child support and its impact on child care in America.
  • The social displacement of Autistic children.
  • Effect of clinical depression on adolescent children.

Awesome Social Work Research Ideas

  • Discuss the major issues juvenile delinquents faces globally.
  • Explain how to deal with people who are experiencing homelessness.
  • Suggest the best strategy to counteract the bullying of disabled children.
  • Write about the best pre and post-birth assistance to surrogate mothers.
  • Describe the challenges that single-parent face while raising their children.
  • Study the increase in suicide rates among people who are serving in the military.
  • How to meet the unique needs of sexually exploited children.
  • Explain how to approach dyslexia cases.
  • Discuss the effect of interracial adoption on the growth of children.
  • Explain how to build resilience in welfare or social workers.
  • What causes child abuse in orphanages?
  • Explain the ethical issues associated with human trafficking.
  • What are the major types of child abuse in society?
  • How does childhood trauma affect their growth?
  • Explain how domestic violence affects a family.
  • Ethical rules are important when working with human trafficking victims.
  • Inclination towards committing suicide- Method to deal with the issue.
  • Impact of alcoholism on society, personal lifestyle, and the family of the person.
  • The percentage of incarcerated adults from the minority group.
  • Best ways to offer support to bipolar patients.
  • Consequences of incarcerated people reentering their community.
  • Is there a connection between divorce and the health and lifestyle of children?
  • Analyzing the trauma of parent-child separation.
  • Discuss the concept of substance abuse among teenagers.
  • Identify the similarities and distinctions between ADHD and Dyslexia.

Interesting Social Work Research Paper Topics

  • Analyze the effect of play therapy interventions in school counseling.
  • Write about alternative social work practices.
  • How does diversity affect various communities?
  • Explain the impact of sexual violence on adolescent girls.
  • How should social workers deal with pedophilia victims?
  • Explain how to work with immigrants in social care.
  • How does poverty influence the proper growth of children?
  • Discuss the common types of elder abuse.
  • Analyze the challenges faced by deported women globally.
  • What is the greatest risk of fetal alcohol exposure?
  • How social workers should prevent burnout?
  • Explain the effect of corporate social responsibility on the well-being of society.
  • Study the problems faced by vulnerable people who get medical help.
  • Explain how environmental social work is undertaken.
  • Discuss the positive and negative effects of health care reforms.
  • Case study analysis- Inclusive and functional healthcare system improves social development.
  • How can death affect the integrated wellness of a family?
  • The role of a family in exacerbating the occurrence of depression.

High-quality Social Work Research Topics

  • What are the best social service strategies for refugees?
  • How can backyard farming be used to empower women?
  • Explain how the generation gap affects culture.
  • Describe the influence of unemployment on immigrants.
  • Explain the importance of peer service providers in addressing reproductive health.
  • Share the importance of gender sensitivity in helping the LGBT community.
  • Present the major problems faced by social workers in social work.
  • Analyze the effects of alcohol and drug abuse among young people.
  • Discuss the effectiveness of the prohibition of liquor.
  • Share the major reasons for the increased rate of crime in society.
  • Discuss the major factors that lead to incest.
  • Explain the effect of the welfare scheme on the performance of workers.
  • Present the central issues associated with special education.
  • Analyze the effect of street hawking among teenage girls.
  • How to establish a high school service-learning program.

Fascinating Social Work Research Topics

  • Investigate the experience of AIDS caregivers.
  • How should social workers handle gay and lesbian adoption?
  • Examine the health experiences of older women in rural areas.
  • Explain the roles of social workers in Palliative Care.
  • What are the factors that influence racism globally?
  • Share the importance of couple therapy in building relationships.
  • Explain the consequences of living with Dyslexia.
  • Discuss the effects of community violence on the lives LGBT+ community.
  • Evaluate the overall effect of social work in the USA.
  • Examine the living modes of stigmatized women in society.

Brilliant Social Work Thesis Topics

  • How does death affect the collective well-being of the family?
  • Share the effects of ADHD within foster homes on children.
  • Analyze the social problems faced by Autism children.
  • How to handle life when both parents suffer from Alzheimer’s?
  • Have a closer look at the myths associated with Welfare mothers.
  • Analyze the negative effects of conversion therapy on the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Explain how socioeconomic disparity affects the old.
  • How to address workplace violence.
  • Analyze the connection between welfare systems and low-income neighborhoods
  • Discuss the social and mental effects of loans on students.

Captivating Social Work Research Topics

  • Explain the effective ways to improve the participation of adolescents in the development of the local community.
  • Analyze the effectiveness of family therapy in a mental health setting.
  • Explain the development of successful smoking cessation programs.
  • Discuss the reasons why people become shopaholics.
  • What are the core concepts to be followed while delivering human services?
  • Analyze the successes and failures of drug rehabilitation programs.
  • Focus on youth development across different countries.
  • Examine the importance of illness burden on socioeconomic status.
  • How to enhance the academic performance of a student from a very backward community.
  • Investigate the relationship between income and behavioral health.

Awesome Social Work Research Questions

  • Describe the factors that cause family violence.
  • Examine the suicide prevention protocols in your location.
  • Analyze the risk factors associated with secondary traumatic stress.
  • How does substance abuse affect parenting?
  • Explain how homophobia affects LGBTQ+ adults.
  • Write about prenatal depression in expecting mothers.
  • How can bipolar patients receive support?
  • Explain how to cope with the stigma of having served in prison.
  • Discuss the challenges experienced by minority kids in foster homes.
  • How to encourage women to report domestic violence.
  • Review the undisclosed latest cases of rape violence amongst women in the military and how it impacts their lives and service
  • Analyse why social and academic integration is important for children with Down syndrome
  • Descriptive analysis of the difference and similarities between ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and Dyslexia
  • Discuss the risk factors of dangerous grief and how it impacts the future life of someone
  • How a social worker can undertake grief counseling for families that have lost a loved one?
  • Describe the most effective healing strategies for and ways to meet the unique needs of sexually exploited children and adolescents
  • Describe the best ways to work with elders experiencing any kind of cognitive impairment
  • Describe the impact of positive and negative attitudes of social workers on the old age people

Impressive Social Work Research Topics

  • What are the effects of the Russian-Ukraine war on society?
  • Explain the Effects of diversity on children with disabilities.
  • Discuss the power issues in divorce mediation.
  • Explain the benefits associated with social health education among incarcerated women.
  • Analyze the challenges faced by the LGBTQ community.
  • Explain the importance of religion in reducing stereotypes.
  • Discuss the role of the media in shaping antisemitism stereotypes.
  • Write about the damages caused by psychological violence.
  • Discuss the major problems faced by welfare workers.

Wrapping Up

From the list of ideas suggested above, feel free to choose any topic of your interest and craft an outstanding social work research paper. In case you need any other unique research topic or if you want expert help to prepare your social work research paper without plagiarism, then quickly contact us. On our platform, we have numerous academic writers who are masters in the field of social work to offer you high-quality assignment help . Right from the social work research paper topic selection phase to proofreading, our subject professionals will provide amazing support 24/7. Moreover, utilizing our social work assignment help service would aid you in completing your research paper in advance of your submission date and securing top grades.

Just book your order and earn great scholastic benefits offered by our service.

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80 Social Work Research Topics

FacebookXEmailWhatsAppRedditPinterestLinkedInAre you a student searching for captivating research topics in the field of social work? Look no further. Whether you’re pursuing an undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral degree, finding the right research topic is essential for a successful dissertation. Social work is a multidisciplinary field that addresses societal issues and promotes social change, making it an […]

social work research topics

Are you a student searching for captivating research topics in the field of social work? Look no further. Whether you’re pursuing an undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral degree, finding the right research topic is essential for a successful dissertation.

Social work is a multidisciplinary field that addresses societal issues and promotes social change, making it an excellent area to explore for your research. Our comprehensive list of social work research topics covers a wide range of areas, including mental health, child welfare, community development, social justice, and more.

By selecting a topic that aligns with your interests and career goals, you can contribute to the advancement of the field and make a positive impact on individuals and communities. Utilize available resources, such as research articles, case studies, and ethical guidelines, to support your study. With dedication and a passion for social work, your research can make a significant difference in the lives of those in need.

A List Of Potential Research Topics In Social Work:

  • What are the long-term effects of social isolation and loneliness on the well-being of older adults during and after the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • Addressing the mental health needs of children and adolescents in foster care: Strategies for social work practice.
  • How has the shift to remote and virtual service delivery impacted the effectiveness of social work interventions?
  • Assessing the impact of social work interventions on improving outcomes for children in care in the UK.
  • The role of social work in promoting and supporting mental health among diverse communities in the UK.
  • The impact of social work research and evidence-based practice on improving service quality and outcomes in the UK.
  • Exploring the role of social work in promoting inclusive education and supporting students with special educational needs in the UK.
  • Assessing the effectiveness of social work interventions in supporting individuals with disabilities to live independently in the UK.
  • The impact of school-based social work programs on student academic success and well-being.
  • How has the pandemic affected the provision of social services to homeless populations, and what strategies can social workers employ to address homelessness?
  • How has the pandemic exacerbated existing health disparities and inequities, and what role can social work play in addressing these issues?
  • Exploring the effectiveness of early intervention programs in reducing child poverty and improving child well-being in the UK.
  • Assessing the effectiveness of social work interventions in addressing domestic violence and abuse in the UK.
  • Exploring the role of social workers in addressing homelessness and housing insecurity.
  • Examining the impact of social work interventions on improving outcomes for children in foster care.
  • How has the pandemic affected the prevalence and dynamics of domestic violence and child abuse, and how can social workers respond effectively?
  • The impact of digital technology on social work practice and service delivery in the UK.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of mentoring programs for at-risk youth in promoting positive outcomes.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of restorative justice practices in reducing recidivism rates among juvenile offenders.
  • The effectiveness of trauma-informed care in supporting survivors of domestic violence.
  • Addressing the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on long-term well-being: A social work perspective.
  • The impact of social work interventions on mental health outcomes in low-income communities.
  • Assessing the effectiveness of social work interventions in promoting rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders in the UK.
  • Exploring the role of social workers in supporting individuals with substance use disorders in recovery.
  • Evaluating the impact of school social work programs on student attendance and engagement.
  • The role of social workers in supporting older adults in aging-in-place and long-term care decision-making.
  • The role of social work in addressing poverty and income inequality in the UK.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of school-based bullying prevention programs in promoting safe learning environments.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of family preservation programs in preventing child removals.
  • Addressing racial disparities in the child welfare system: Strategies for social work practice.
  • Exploring the experiences of social workers in rural and underserved areas: Challenges and opportunities.
  • Exploring the experiences of social workers in crisis and disaster response.
  • Examining the impact of social work interventions on reducing child abuse and neglect.
  • The role of social workers in supporting individuals and families affected by addiction.
  • Exploring the experiences of social workers working in rural communities in the UK and the unique challenges they face.
  • The impact of social work interventions on reducing substance abuse among adolescents.
  • Exploring the role of social workers in supporting individuals with disabilities in transition to adulthood.
  • Exploring the role of social workers in promoting social justice and advocacy for marginalized communities.
  • What are the impacts of the pandemic on community organizing efforts and collective action for social change?
  • Examining the experiences of social workers in child protection services: Ethical dilemmas and decision-making.
  • Exploring the intersection of social work and technology: Opportunities and challenges.
  • Exploring the experiences of immigrant and refugee populations in accessing social services.
  • Assessing the effectiveness of restorative justice approaches in the criminal justice system in the UK and the role of social work in facilitating the process.
  • Evaluating the impact of community organizing efforts on social change and empowerment.
  • Examining the impact of social work interventions on reducing school dropout rates.
  • What are the impacts of school closures and remote learning on the well-being and educational outcomes of children and adolescents, and how can social workers support them?
  • How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health outcomes and access to mental health services among vulnerable populations?
  • Addressing the mental health needs of frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A social work perspective.
  • Exploring the experiences of social workers working in child protection and safeguarding in the UK.
  • Examining the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in the foster care system and strategies for improving support.
  • The experiences and challenges faced by social workers in addressing the needs of older adults in the UK.
  • Exploring the experiences of social workers in supporting individuals with chronic illnesses.
  • The impact of Brexit on the rights and well-being of migrant populations in the UK and the role of social work in advocating for their rights.
  • How has the pandemic affected access to healthcare services for marginalized populations, and how can social workers promote equitable healthcare access?
  • Addressing the mental health needs of veterans: Insights from social work practice.
  • The impact of austerity measures on social work practice and service delivery in the UK.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of community-based mental health services in reducing hospitalization rates.
  • The effectiveness of group therapy interventions in promoting mental health and well-being.
  • How has the pandemic affected access to food security and nutrition, and how can social workers address food insecurity in their communities?
  • How has the pandemic influenced the provision of services for individuals with disabilities, and what strategies can social workers employ to promote inclusivity?
  • What are the emerging challenges and opportunities for social work practice in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • How has the pandemic affected social work practice with immigrant and refugee populations, and how can social workers address their unique needs?
  • Examining the impact of social work interventions on reducing recidivism rates among adult offenders.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of community-based programs in reducing elder abuse.
  • What are the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic for social work practice and preparedness in future crises?
  • The role of social workers in supporting individuals with disabilities in accessing employment and inclusive workplaces.
  • Addressing mental health stigma in culturally diverse communities: Strategies for social work practice.
  • The role of social work in addressing substance abuse and addiction issues in the UK.
  • Evaluating the impact of community-based interventions on reducing substance abuse and addiction.
  • What are the best practices for social workers in addressing the mental health needs of healthcare workers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • What are the emerging ethical considerations for social workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • How has the pandemic affected the prevalence and management of substance abuse and addiction, and what interventions are effective in supporting recovery?
  • Exploring the role of social workers in addressing human trafficking and modern slavery.
  • What are the unique challenges faced by social workers in providing telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • Addressing the mental health needs of refugees and asylum seekers: Challenges and best practices.
  • Exploring the experiences of social workers in engaging with and supporting diverse religious and ethnic communities in the UK.
  • What are the impacts of the pandemic on child welfare services and foster care systems, and how can social workers ensure the safety and well-being of children?
  • What are the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and well-being of frontline workers, such as social workers and healthcare professionals?
  • Exploring the experiences of social workers working with LGBTQ+ individuals and communities in the UK.
  • The role of social work in addressing homelessness and supporting individuals and families in accessing suitable housing in the UK.

In conclusion, we have presented a diverse range of social work research topics tailored for students at various degree levels who are searching for captivating ideas for their dissertation research. Social work plays a critical role in addressing societal challenges, promoting well-being, and advocating for social justice. Whether you are an undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral student, our comprehensive list of topics offers a wide array of research opportunities to explore current issues, examine interventions, and contribute to the advancement of the field.

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Social Work Research Methods That Drive the Practice

A social worker surveys a community member.

Social workers advocate for the well-being of individuals, families and communities. But how do social workers know what interventions are needed to help an individual? How do they assess whether a treatment plan is working? What do social workers use to write evidence-based policy?

Social work involves research-informed practice and practice-informed research. At every level, social workers need to know objective facts about the populations they serve, the efficacy of their interventions and the likelihood that their policies will improve lives. A variety of social work research methods make that possible.

Data-Driven Work

Data is a collection of facts used for reference and analysis. In a field as broad as social work, data comes in many forms.

Quantitative vs. Qualitative

As with any research, social work research involves both quantitative and qualitative studies.

Quantitative Research

Answers to questions like these can help social workers know about the populations they serve — or hope to serve in the future.

  • How many students currently receive reduced-price school lunches in the local school district?
  • How many hours per week does a specific individual consume digital media?
  • How frequently did community members access a specific medical service last year?

Quantitative data — facts that can be measured and expressed numerically — are crucial for social work.

Quantitative research has advantages for social scientists. Such research can be more generalizable to large populations, as it uses specific sampling methods and lends itself to large datasets. It can provide important descriptive statistics about a specific population. Furthermore, by operationalizing variables, it can help social workers easily compare similar datasets with one another.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative data — facts that cannot be measured or expressed in terms of mere numbers or counts — offer rich insights into individuals, groups and societies. It can be collected via interviews and observations.

  • What attitudes do students have toward the reduced-price school lunch program?
  • What strategies do individuals use to moderate their weekly digital media consumption?
  • What factors made community members more or less likely to access a specific medical service last year?

Qualitative research can thereby provide a textured view of social contexts and systems that may not have been possible with quantitative methods. Plus, it may even suggest new lines of inquiry for social work research.

Mixed Methods Research

Combining quantitative and qualitative methods into a single study is known as mixed methods research. This form of research has gained popularity in the study of social sciences, according to a 2019 report in the academic journal Theory and Society. Since quantitative and qualitative methods answer different questions, merging them into a single study can balance the limitations of each and potentially produce more in-depth findings.

However, mixed methods research is not without its drawbacks. Combining research methods increases the complexity of a study and generally requires a higher level of expertise to collect, analyze and interpret the data. It also requires a greater level of effort, time and often money.

The Importance of Research Design

Data-driven practice plays an essential role in social work. Unlike philanthropists and altruistic volunteers, social workers are obligated to operate from a scientific knowledge base.

To know whether their programs are effective, social workers must conduct research to determine results, aggregate those results into comprehensible data, analyze and interpret their findings, and use evidence to justify next steps.

Employing the proper design ensures that any evidence obtained during research enables social workers to reliably answer their research questions.

Research Methods in Social Work

The various social work research methods have specific benefits and limitations determined by context. Common research methods include surveys, program evaluations, needs assessments, randomized controlled trials, descriptive studies and single-system designs.

Surveys involve a hypothesis and a series of questions in order to test that hypothesis. Social work researchers will send out a survey, receive responses, aggregate the results, analyze the data, and form conclusions based on trends.

Surveys are one of the most common research methods social workers use — and for good reason. They tend to be relatively simple and are usually affordable. However, surveys generally require large participant groups, and self-reports from survey respondents are not always reliable.

Program Evaluations

Social workers ally with all sorts of programs: after-school programs, government initiatives, nonprofit projects and private programs, for example.

Crucially, social workers must evaluate a program’s effectiveness in order to determine whether the program is meeting its goals and what improvements can be made to better serve the program’s target population.

Evidence-based programming helps everyone save money and time, and comparing programs with one another can help social workers make decisions about how to structure new initiatives. Evaluating programs becomes complicated, however, when programs have multiple goal metrics, some of which may be vague or difficult to assess (e.g., “we aim to promote the well-being of our community”).

Needs Assessments

Social workers use needs assessments to identify services and necessities that a population lacks access to.

Common social work populations that researchers may perform needs assessments on include:

  • People in a specific income group
  • Everyone in a specific geographic region
  • A specific ethnic group
  • People in a specific age group

In the field, a social worker may use a combination of methods (e.g., surveys and descriptive studies) to learn more about a specific population or program. Social workers look for gaps between the actual context and a population’s or individual’s “wants” or desires.

For example, a social worker could conduct a needs assessment with an individual with cancer trying to navigate the complex medical-industrial system. The social worker may ask the client questions about the number of hours they spend scheduling doctor’s appointments, commuting and managing their many medications. After learning more about the specific client needs, the social worker can identify opportunities for improvements in an updated care plan.

In policy and program development, social workers conduct needs assessments to determine where and how to effect change on a much larger scale. Integral to social work at all levels, needs assessments reveal crucial information about a population’s needs to researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders. Needs assessments may fall short, however, in revealing the root causes of those needs (e.g., structural racism).

Randomized Controlled Trials

Randomized controlled trials are studies in which a randomly selected group is subjected to a variable (e.g., a specific stimulus or treatment) and a control group is not. Social workers then measure and compare the results of the randomized group with the control group in order to glean insights about the effectiveness of a particular intervention or treatment.

Randomized controlled trials are easily reproducible and highly measurable. They’re useful when results are easily quantifiable. However, this method is less helpful when results are not easily quantifiable (i.e., when rich data such as narratives and on-the-ground observations are needed).

Descriptive Studies

Descriptive studies immerse the researcher in another context or culture to study specific participant practices or ways of living. Descriptive studies, including descriptive ethnographic studies, may overlap with and include other research methods:

  • Informant interviews
  • Census data
  • Observation

By using descriptive studies, researchers may glean a richer, deeper understanding of a nuanced culture or group on-site. The main limitations of this research method are that it tends to be time-consuming and expensive.

Single-System Designs

Unlike most medical studies, which involve testing a drug or treatment on two groups — an experimental group that receives the drug/treatment and a control group that does not — single-system designs allow researchers to study just one group (e.g., an individual or family).

Single-system designs typically entail studying a single group over a long period of time and may involve assessing the group’s response to multiple variables.

For example, consider a study on how media consumption affects a person’s mood. One way to test a hypothesis that consuming media correlates with low mood would be to observe two groups: a control group (no media) and an experimental group (two hours of media per day). When employing a single-system design, however, researchers would observe a single participant as they watch two hours of media per day for one week and then four hours per day of media the next week.

These designs allow researchers to test multiple variables over a longer period of time. However, similar to descriptive studies, single-system designs can be fairly time-consuming and costly.

Learn More About Social Work Research Methods

Social workers have the opportunity to improve the social environment by advocating for the vulnerable — including children, older adults and people with disabilities — and facilitating and developing resources and programs.

Learn more about how you can earn your  Master of Social Work online at Virginia Commonwealth University . The highest-ranking school of social work in Virginia, VCU has a wide range of courses online. That means students can earn their degrees with the flexibility of learning at home. Learn more about how you can take your career in social work further with VCU.

From M.S.W. to LCSW: Understanding Your Career Path as a Social Worker

How Palliative Care Social Workers Support Patients With Terminal Illnesses

How to Become a Social Worker in Health Care

Gov.uk, Mixed Methods Study

MVS Open Press, Foundations of Social Work Research

Open Social Work Education, Scientific Inquiry in Social Work

Open Social Work, Graduate Research Methods in Social Work: A Project-Based Approach

Routledge, Research for Social Workers: An Introduction to Methods

SAGE Publications, Research Methods for Social Work: A Problem-Based Approach

Theory and Society, Mixed Methods Research: What It Is and What It Could Be

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Essay Assignment Writing Tips for Students of MBA, Masters, PhD Level

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145+ Best Social Work Research Topics and Ideas to Use

What is the best research topic in social work.

Social work research determines and addresses various community problems and explains all the possible solutions as well as new innovations to improve services. Topics can range from mental health, poverty or substantial abuse. How do you develop an interesting social work topic and potential areas to discuss in your research? Don’t worry; this blog from our online research paper writing service covers your concerns. The blog post will provide some social work research paper topics and ideas that you can consider for your social work research.

Social Work Research Topics

What Are Social Work Research Topics?

Any Social work research ideas are systematic investigations of the issues that pertain to any social work field. It can also be defined as the application of research methods for addressing various problems faced by social workers in their practices.

The majority of the research topics include a study of the concepts, principles, and theories, as well as the underlying methods like the employee skills and interactions with the groups or individuals as an internal process.

Social work focuses on practical applications, and your research aims to properly understand the efficacy of various intervention methods to reduce people’s suffering. Our team has subject matter experts to offer affordable online case study reports in social work .

Where to Find the Finest Research Topics on Social Work?

The finest research topics for social networks can be the basic textbooks that are used in social work courses in social work research topics. A variation exists between the textbooks on any topic.

Some of these are comprehensive and indulge in the topics very deeply and on a more advanced level. This variation is due to the different needs for relevant instruction at graduate and undergraduate education levels of social work education.

Most of the instructors at the undergraduate levels of education prefer simpler and shorter text. However, some of them teach at higher education levels and prefer bigger tests.

Other spaces are as follows:

  • Scholarly articles

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Tips on How to Choose a Social Work Topic Selection

  • Skim through the literate study like course notes or handbooks that you have already studied. It would help if you went through it to visualize all your studied topics or even the sub-topics. You can also share your new ideas here.
  • Brainstorming can help you a lot in this process. Here, you can access your basic knowledge and get a few interesting educational topics that are stored in your mind to explore later in detail.
  • You can browse through the already published article topics in various social work journals. You can also study the newsletters on social websites. You can also search on the platforms for field-related news from many journals. Even if some of the article topics can be a bit complicated, these can be a good choice for you.
  • Browse the online data to find good research topics for your research paper writing . By skimming through these lists, you can get more topics with good copes. The broadness of these topics will bombard you with new related ideas.

Any good social work research topic covers all the modern trends as well as incorporeal male ideas in the social work field. The topic also needs to break the specific stereotypes by using relevant evidence.

Different peer-viewed studies should also support it.

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List of best social work research topics and ideas, controversial topics in social work.

  • Can euthanasia be justified?
  • Substance abuse in adolescents
  • How to deal with drug abuses in orphanages
  • Which Societal groups are the most vulnerable to substance abuse?
  • How to reduce recidivism with family support
  • How imprisonment affects mental health.
  • What is the ethical issue related to human trafficking?
  • Issues of gender differentiation in modern society
  • Juvenile delinquents vs reeducation strategies
  • Whose role is it to develop resilience in social work?

Check the mind-blowing list of the Top  140+ Controversial Research Topics for Students to Consider

Hot topics in social work.

  • Domestic violence among children vs teenagers
  • How to encourage women to report domestic violence
  • How to save families from domestic valence
  • Is it justified to change a child from his setting?
  • Effect of child negligence in life and career
  • How to provide testimony in a court by a social worker
  • How to invoke social work in the healthcare field
  • Grief consoling for families losing a loved one
  • How to relieve grief symptoms
  • How to help pains of domestic violence
  • Risk factors associated with deep grief

Best Social Work Research Topics Ideas

  • Importee of group therapy in children
  • Ill effects of less child support
  • Effects of clinical depression
  • Impact of ADHD in foster homes related to kids
  • Effects of continued mobility in the lives of orphaned kids
  • The best counselling session for people suffering from PTSD
  • Best social relegation for children with autism
  • How to address stigma related to disability
  • How does diabetes affect the lives of middle-aged parents?
  • Bad effects on the lives of children living on the streets
  • How does homelessness affect people’s psyche?

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Social Work Thesis Topics

  • Effect of alcoholic buses and excessive alcoholism in society
  • How to arrange for a good family counselling session to prevent alcoholism
  • How to analyze the trauma associated with parent-child separation
  • Analyze substantial abuses in society
  • ADHD vs Dyslexia- compare and contrast
  • How parent’s divorce affects the life of children
  • Define the uses of anti-depressants among people of different age groups
  • How to take care of children suffering from downs syndrome
  • The death of a family member affects the mental health and lifestyle of a family
  • How to generate awareness for the Dyslexic patients in the society

Social Work Dissertation Topics

  • How can domestic violence survivors get better job opportunities?
  • A study of females with sexual addiction
  • Reintegration of the rape survivors within the society
  • How to prevent juvenile recidivism
  • How to give proper juvenile justice
  • Examples of great women world leaders
  • Should health services be provided to immigrants?
  • Best housing options for the economically challenged people of society
  • Challenges of providing proper medical care to the senior citizens
  • Position of the HIV positive people in today’s society
  • Is customer satisfaction the ultimate goal of any business?
  • How Climatic Change Affects Social Work
  • Role of home care workers in our society
  • Why do people still hesitate to talk about sex?
  • Is sex education needed?

Choosing the Perfect  Top 250+ Dissertation Topics & Ideas in 2023

Captivating social work research ideas.

  • Role of Social Worker in Making end End-of-life Decisions
  • Effect of adolescence’s physical changes on the psyche of kids
  • How social work can help in preventing school and college dropouts
  • Effect of media on kids’ preschool behaviour
  • Effect of parents’ drug abuses on children
  • How the social workers can help in building the life and career of kids
  • Describe how to prevent stereotypes related to depression.
  • How social work deepen historically
  • Pros and cons of being an alcoholic
  • Cause and prevention of youth recidivism
  • Effect of bullying on students
  • How can social workers help in preventing teenage pregnancies?

Innovative Social Work Research Paper Topics

  • Preparing Educators for Multiple Settings
  • Support Services for Families in Need
  • Evaluation of the Impact of Innovation on Social Workers’ Performance
  • How to give the best support serves to the families in need
  • Social service to address Reproductive Health
  • The main issues faced by social workers while working
  • How to educate people having ASD
  • Issus of gender differentiation at school levels
  • How trump effect the adults and children
  • How can religion reduce stereotypes?
  • Effect of death on the family members
  • Can Evidence-Based Practice Affect life-long Learning?
  • Homelessness affects people’s psyche

Social Work Research Topics for Literature Review

  • How can the Multi-Agency Working protect children’s rights?
  • Role of Therapists in preventing child Abuse and addressing them
  • How to address kids who have gone through trauma
  • Causes and preventives of Recidivism
  • Role of social worker towards the school teachers
  • How the Adolescence Physical Changes affect children’s psychology
  • Reintegration in society for abuse survivors
  • Roe of social services to help students bond their own value systems
  • Role of social workers within the health care practitioners
  • How to cope with Intrinsic Cultural Perspectives
  • Explain the process of holding back

Engaging Social Work Research Ideas

  • Effect of unwanted pregnancy on teenage mothers
  • The pros and cons of social media effects on young minds
  • Explain all the welfare systems in the lives of low-income people
  • Explain the importance of various rehabilitation centres
  • How do cultural beliefs play a role in marriages?
  • Explain various labour laws related to social services
  • How the rising home costs affecting the lives of individuals and families
  • Explain the pros and cons related to abortion laws
  • Explain the sustainability of wellness therapies
  • How the birth control roles affect our society
  • Explain how the general community, teenagers and school are interrelated
  • Explain the impact of first-time menstrual experiences among teenage girls

Human Service Social Work Research Topics

  • Discuss various issues involved with juvenile justice
  • How to deal with homeless people
  • How to prevent bullying of physically disabled children
  • Explain the pre-natal as well as post-natal care for the surrogate mothers
  • Explain the increasing suicide among military personnel
  • How to improve the lives of sexually exploited children
  • How to add the dyslexia cases
  • Effect of interracial adopting all across the globe
  • How to build proper resilience by the social workers
  • What are the causes of child abuse in the orphanages?
  • What are the ethical issues involved with human trafficking

Learn about  Human Resources Research Topics

Social work capstone project ideas.

  • How can music heal a soul?
  • How to deal with pediatric mental health
  • Effect on chided by high conflict divorces
  • Explain autonomous self-care
  • Meta practices at the bachelor level
  • Explain Black Lives Matter (BLM)

Social Work Topics for Discussion

  • Community-Oriented Policing
  • How to teach anti-racism practices
  • How to reverse the wheel of oppression
  • Coping with trauma disorder cases
  • Explain Perinatal Substance Use Disorders
  • Explain the history of racial trauma of black people

Best Social Work Essay Topics

  • How to meet the Psychosocial Needs of online learners over social media
  • Leadership future of social workers
  • How the organizational leaders can play a role in employee self-care
  • Does racism also play a role in the life and work of social workers?
  • How to cope with active suicide rates
  • How to address Juvenile Sexual Offending
  • What are the keys to solving deep-rooted social issues?

Also, Check –  120+ Unique Evaluation Essay Topics and Ideas

Social work topics for presentation.

  • How addiction is changing the world
  • Elder abuses in the USA
  • Influence of homosexuality in the modern society
  • Is gender a definitive thing- explain
  • Invasive vs Passive Interventions
  • How to obliterate gender pay gaps
  • Are domestic abuses also applicable to men?
  • Effect of rape and sexual abuses on human development
  • How to treat the most Vulnerable Inhabitants of the society
  • Explain the Naturalization of Human Needs
  • Are hard work and modern music leading to more drug abuses
  • Role of politics to shape any society

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Please get in touch with us anytime, tell us about your topic, and get a 100% plagiarism-free paper with impeccable grammar and formatting.

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Best Economics Research Topics and Ideas for Student

181+ latest case study topics for students to think about, example list of business research topics ideas for students, 130+ best informative essay topics for students, 265+ good conclusion starters for the final paragraph.

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A profession with heart: Exploring social work careers that addressing social problems

Social worker listening to client and expressing empathy

Do you feel deeply affected by the unfairness in the world, especially its impact on entire communities and individuals? Does the thought of helping others overcome challenges and building stronger communities light a fire within you? If so, a career in social work might be your calling.

There are many different aspects of social work careers that may align with your desire to make a real difference. From advocating for policy change to providing direct support to individuals and families in need, social work careers offer diverse avenues to make a tangible impact.

Social work values

Social work practice is guided by core values that translate into respectful and empowering interactions with clients, helping them make beneficial decisions.

  • Empathy:   Vitally important to social work is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. This allows social workers to build trust and provide compassionate support.
  • Human dignity:  Social workers believe in the inherent worth and value of every individual, treating everyone with respect, compassion, and fairness.
  • Self-Determination:  Social workers empower clients to make choices and decisions about their lives, fostering independence and a sense of control.

A holistic approach towards social issues

Social workers tackle a wide range of social issues, from poverty and homelessness to mental health and addiction. They understand the complex interplay between these issues and the social factors of health, such as access to education, healthcare, and safe housing.

By addressing root causes, social workers work towards creating a more equitable society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Career options that address these issues are:

  • School social worker:  Provides support and resources to students facing academic, social, or emotional challenges. They collaborate with teachers, families, and community agencies to promote student well-being and success.
  • Medical social worker:  Works within healthcare settings to address the social and emotional needs of patients and their families. They may help patients navigate the healthcare system, access resources, and cope with illness.
  • Housing case manager:  Assists individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity to find stable and affordable housing. They may also provide support services to help clients maintain their housing and address underlying challenges.

Promoting equity

Social workers are champions for equality. They advocate for marginalized populations, dismantle discriminatory barriers, and fight for policies that promote social justice. Their work ensures that individuals from all backgrounds can access the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.

These issues can be tackled through careers in:

  • Public policy advocacy specialist:  Researches and analyzes social issues, develops policy recommendations, and lobbies for changes to legislation and regulations that promote equity and justice.
  • Community social worker:  Works with community members to identify their needs, build coalitions, and advocate for social change. They may focus on issues such as racial justice, economic inequality, or access to healthcare.
  • Immigration social worker:  Provides support and advocacy to immigrants and refugees, helping them navigate the legal system, access resources, and integrate into their new communities.

Empowering individuals

Social workers don't just assist; they empower individuals to become agents of their change. Through counseling, case management, and skill development programs, social workers equip individuals with the tools and resources they need to overcome obstacles, build resilience, and lead fulfilling lives.

Consider these impactful careers that directly address these issues:

  • Mental health therapist:  Provides individual and group therapy to address mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and trauma. They use evidence-based interventions to help clients develop coping skills and improve their overall well-being.
  • Substance abuse counselor:  Works with individuals struggling with addiction to develop a recovery plan. They may provide individual counseling, group therapy, and support services throughout recovery.
  • Gerontological social worker:  Provides services to older adults and their families. They may assist with issues such as long-term care planning, social isolation, and mental health concerns.

The cascading effect: Transforming communities

The impact of social work extends beyond the client. By strengthening families, promoting mental health within communities, and advocating for systemic change, social workers contribute to the overall well-being of society. They are architects of positive change, creating a ripple effect that fosters stronger, more supportive communities.

Choosing the right online MSW program

Here are some key factors to consider when choosing a program:

  • Program offerings and curriculum:  Ensure the program covers various social work practice areas, including clinical practice, policy analysis, and community organizing.
  • University reputation:  Choose a reputable university with a strong history in social work education for valuable networking opportunities and enhanced career prospects.
  • Flexibility:  Look for programs with flexible scheduling options and opportunities for field placements to gain practical experience.

Consider OHIO’s online master’s in social work

Ready to make a real difference? Ohio University's accredited online MSW program equips you with the knowledge and skills to become a powerful advocate for social good. Designed for flexibility, this program, through the College of Health Sciences and Professions, allows you to balance your studies with other commitments.

Delve into the inspiring stories of online MSW students who are actively working to empower communities and transform lives. Regardless of your background or current schedule, or perhaps you are looking to return to the workforce, Ohio University's online MSW program provides the foundation you need to emerge as a passionate leader in many MSW careers. Start your journey toward a fulfilling career today.

ScienceDaily

Marginalized communities developed 'disaster subculture' when living through extreme climate events

Locations around the globe are experiencing climate disasters on a regular basis. But some of the most marginalized populations experience disasters so often it has come to be normalized.

A new study from the University of Kansas found residents of one Seoul, South Korea, neighborhood have grown so accustomed to living through extreme climate events they have developed a "disaster subculture" that challenges both views of reality and how social agencies can help.

Joonmo Kang, assistant professor of social welfare, spent a year living in Jjokbang-chon, an extremely impoverished neighborhood in Seoul, as part of an ethnographic research project. Residents there routinely live through extreme heat and cold in tiny, 70-square-foot units about the size of a closet. Over the course of a year, he interviewed residents about their experiences and worked with local social agencies to understand how they worked with the residents.

Residents regularly expressed a sort of indifference to extreme heat and climate change, stating they had no options or even that "every day is a disaster." While that seeming difference with reality can potentially be caused by several factors, it shows that social work has a challenge in how to respond to climate disasters and their everyday effects, Kang said.

The study, published in the International Journal of Social Welfare , is part of Kang's larger body of work in climate justice and eco social work. Through that lens, he said hopes to learn more about how climate change affects certain groups and populations and how social work can respond.

"For this paper I wanted to highlight the lived experiences of so-called slum housing in Seoul, South Korea, where I'm originally from," Kang said. "But heat and climate disasters don't just happen there, it happens throughout the Global North, even in the wealthiest countries. I want to see how this affects lives in the most marginalized communities."

In his ethnographic study, Kang had informal conversations and semi-structed interviews with the residents of Jjokbang-chon. One resident reported how he simply sits still and tries not to move during the hottest times. Others reported they did not go to government-provided cooling centers because they were too far away and the effort to get there would outweigh riding out the heat.

"All year around, all four seasons are filled with distress; every day is a disaster. When every day is like that, when every day is a disaster, when our daily lives are a disaster, the weather doesn't matter. It's not like the summer or the winter becomes particularly hard," one resident said.

Other residents reported living in a jjokbang was preferable to previous experiences of homelessness. Even though they were not allowed by landlords to install cooling systems beyond fans -- and the facilities were not equipped to handle them -- residents seemed resigned to accept living in extreme conditions.

"This research focused on how people make meaning of extreme weather. The findings revealed they developed a 'disaster subculture,'" Kang said. "When they experience this, it causes them to reflect a sense of normalcy. One of the main things I found was even though it's been widely reported these living conditions can be a living hell, people told me, 'It is what it is.' I was really struck by that."

Building a tolerance to seemingly intolerable climate may be difficult to understand, but a community organizer who works with the Jjokbang-chon population offered insight into why residents may express such acceptance.

"It might also be their way of telling us, 'I am trying my best to adjust,' and at the same time even though they have a desire to get out of here, they might just be saying that because they don't have the resources or the means to turn things around," the organizer said. "Being stuck in that situation for a long period of time, they might have gotten used to it or even built a tolerance because they can't change their reality, and as a result leads to a sense of acceptance, like a shrug of resignation."

The field of social work has a responsibility, however, to serve the world's most vulnerable populations, Kang writes, and understanding their lived experiences is key to doing so effectively.

Kang compared the situation to the boiling frog metaphor, in which a frog in a pot of slowly heated water does not jump out before it is cooked. People living in extreme conditions can be exposed to trauma for long periods, but unlike the frog, can offer insight into how to address the issue.

"Their own views of vulnerability and reality did not seem to align with what was objectively true. This shows we need to address the everyday reality and root causes and why people are living in these conditions."

In ongoing and future work, Kang said he would further explore how to advocate for and empower marginalized communities to address climate issues that affect them every day.

"The folks who live these experiences know best. They have agency, and we need to listen to them," Kang said. "I think it can be a waste of money and effort if we don't listen to what people want and need and work with them to address climate-related issues."

  • Social Psychology
  • Environmental Awareness
  • Global Warming
  • Urbanization
  • Environmental Policies
  • Disaster Plan
  • Climate model
  • Social cognition
  • Temperature record of the past 1000 years
  • IPCC Report on Climate Change - 2007
  • Social psychology
  • Consensus of scientists regarding global warming
  • Paleoclimatology

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Kansas . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

  • Joonmo Kang. “Every day is a disaster”: Climate vulnerabilities and disaster subculture of jjokbang‐chon in Seoul, Korea and its implications for social work . International Journal of Social Welfare , 2024; DOI: 10.1111/ijsw.12650

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Black workers’ views and experiences in the U.S. labor force stand out in key ways

A U.S. Postal Service employee scans a package. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

There are more than 21 million Black Americans in the U.S. labor force today. Their workforce experiences are varied but stand out from people of other races and ethnicities on several important measures: They are more likely to be employed in certain postal work, transit, health care and security fields; report experiencing more racial discrimination on the job; and place a higher value on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the workplace.

For Labor Day, here are facts about Black workers’ labor force experiences and attitudes, drawn from federal data sources and recent Pew Research Center surveys.

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand the views and experiences of Black workers in the United States and how they differ from those of people from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Findings are based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau and Center surveys. Additional information about each survey and its methodology can be found in the links in the text of this post.

In the Center surveys, references to workers or employed adults include those who are employed part time or full time; are not self-employed; have only one job or have multiple jobs but consider one their primary job; and whose company or organization has 10 or more people.

References to White, Black and Asian adults include those who are not Hispanic and identify as only one race. Hispanics are of any race. Asian American respondents include only English speakers.  

Black Americans make up large shares of workers in certain transit, health and security occupations, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data from 2022, the most recent year available. Black workers account for about 13% of all U.S. workers, including those who work full time, part time and are self-employed. They make up especially large shares of employees in certain occupations, including postal service clerks (40.4%), transit and intercity bus drivers (36.6%), nursing assistants (36.0%), security guards and gambling surveillance officers (34.5%), and home health aides (32.5%).

A bar chart showing occupations where Black workers make up 25% or more of the workforce.

Black workers make up much smaller shares of farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers (1.5%). They also tend to be underrepresented in some science, engineering and technology occupations such as veterinarians (2.2%), mechanical engineers (3.6%) and electrical and electronics engineers (6.0%).

A 2021 Center survey found that Black adults see barriers for Black workers in STEM fields, including an unwelcoming professional environment and the need for more mentorship and representation for young people in science, technology, engineering and math.

Black workers generally earn less than U.S. workers overall, according to BLS data from 2022. Among full-time wage and salary workers, the median weekly earnings for Black workers ages 16 and older are $878, compared with $1,059 for all U.S. workers in the same age group. Among workers of other races and ethnicities in the same age group, the median weekly earnings are $823 for Hispanic workers, $1,085 for White workers and $1,401 for Asian workers. And the differences hold when accounting for education level – Black workers earn less than those in other groups even among workers with bachelor’s or advanced degrees.

Household income for Black Americans has lagged behind that for Americans of other races for several decades, according to U.S. Census Bureau data .

The unemployment rate for Black Americans is the highest of any racial or ethnic group and roughly double the rate for the U.S. overall, BLS data shows. In 2022, the unemployment rate for Americans ages 16 and older was 3.7% for men and 3.6% for women, according to BLS annual averages . Among Black Americans, the unemployment rate was 6.3% for men and 6.0% for women. This compared with around 3% each for White and Asian men and women and about 4% each for Hispanic men and women.

Monthly unemployment figures showed a record-low unemployment rate for Black Americans in April of this year, but it has begun to tick back up .

As with gaps in household income, Black Americans have experienced higher unemployment rates than their White counterparts for decades. Researchers have identified a variety of factors causing this trend , including racial discrimination and gaps in education, skills and work experience.

Black workers are the most likely to say they’ve experienced discrimination at work because of their race or ethnicity, according to a February 2023 Center survey of U.S. workers . About four-in-ten Black workers (41%) say they have experienced discrimination or been treated unfairly by an employer in hiring, pay or promotions because of their race or ethnicity. Much smaller shares of Asian (25%), Hispanic (20%) and White (8%) workers say the same.

Among Black workers, 48% of men and 36% of women say they’ve experienced discrimination or unfair treatment by an employer due to their race. There are no gender differences among White and Hispanic workers, and the sample size for Asian workers is too small to analyze men and women separately.

A bar chart that shows Black workers are most likely to say they've faced workplace discrimination due to race or ethnicity.

A quarter of U.S. workers say being Black makes it harder to succeed where they work, the February survey shows. Just 8% of U.S. workers say being Black makes it a little or a lot easier to be successful where they work, 50% say it makes it neither easier nor harder, and 17% aren’t sure.

Among Black workers, 51% say that being Black makes it harder to succeed where they work. By comparison, 41% of Asian, 23% of Hispanic and 18% of White workers view being Black as a disadvantage in their workplace. And about four-in-ten or fewer among Asian (39%), Hispanic (29%) and White (7%) workers say that being their own race or ethnicity makes it harder to be successful where they work.

A bar chart showing that about half of Black workers say that being Black makes it harder to succeed where they work.

Majorities of Black Americans see racial and ethnic bias as a major problem in hiring and performance evaluations generally, according to a separate Center survey of all U.S. adults conducted in December 2022 . Some 64% of Black adults say that, in hiring generally, bias and unfair treatment based on job applicants’ race or ethnicity is a major problem. This compares with 49% of Asian, 41% of Hispanic and 30% of White adults who view racial and ethnic bias in hiring as a major problem.

When it comes to performance evaluations, 56% of Black adults say that, in general, racial and ethnic bias is a major problem. About four-in-ten Asian or Hispanic adults and 23% of White adults say the same.

A bar chart that shows Black Americans more likely than other racial and ethnic groups to describe racial bias in hiring and performance evaluations as a major problem.

Black workers especially value diversity in their workplace, the February survey of workers found. Regardless of how diverse their workplace is, 53% of Black workers say it is extremely or very important to them to work somewhere with a mix of employees of different races and ethnicities. That percentage is larger than the shares of Hispanic, White and Asian workers who say this. And 42% of Black workers say they highly value a workplace with employees of different ages, compared with smaller shares of workers who are Hispanic (33%), Asian (30%) or White (24%).

There is a similar trend in views of workplace accessibility: 62% of Black workers say it is extremely or very important to them to work at a place that is accessible for people with physical disabilities, compared with 51% of Hispanic, 48% of White and 43% of Asian workers.

The vast majority of Black workers say that increasing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at work is a good thing, but a sizable share give their employer low marks in this area, according to the February workers survey .

A bar chart that shows about three-in-ten Black workers say their employer pays too little attention to DEI.

Around eight-in-ten Black workers (78%) say that focusing on increasing DEI at work is a good thing. Just 1% of Black workers say this is a bad thing, and 20% view it as neither good nor bad. While majorities of Asian (72%) and Hispanic (65%) workers also say that focusing on increasing DEI is a good thing, roughly half (47%) of White workers hold this view. In fact, 21% of White workers say it’s a bad thing.

But when it comes to their own employer’s DEI efforts, 28% of Black workers say their company or organization pays too little attention to increasing DEI – the largest share of any racial or ethnic group. Black workers are also the least likely to say that their company or organization pays too much attention to DEI. Just 3% hold this view, compared with one-in-ten or more among Hispanic (11%), White (16%) and Asian (18%) workers.

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8 facts about black americans and the news, black americans’ views on success in the u.s., among black adults, those with higher incomes are most likely to say they are happy, fewer than half of black americans say the news often covers the issues that are important to them, most popular.

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Occupational accidents and diseases lead to devastating impacts on workers, enterprises and entire communities and economies. Despite many improvements, the prevention of accidents and work-related diseases continues to have a considerable importance on a global scale.

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Research: Boards Still Have an ESG Expertise Gap — But They’re Improving

  • Tensie Whelan

social work topics to research

Over the last five years, the percentage of Fortune 100 board members possessing relevant credentials rose from 29% to 43%.

The role of U.S. public boards in managing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues has significantly evolved over the past five years. Initially, boards were largely unprepared to handle materially financial ESG topics, lacking the necessary background and credentials. However, recent developments show a positive shift, with the percentage of Fortune 100 board members possessing relevant ESG credentials rising from 29% to 43%. This increase is primarily in environmental and governance credentials, while social credentials have seen less growth. Despite this progress, major gaps remain, particularly in climate change and worker welfare expertise. Notably, the creation of dedicated ESG/sustainability committees has surged, promoting better oversight of sustainability issues. This shift is crucial as companies increasingly face both regulatory pressures and strategic opportunities in transitioning to a low carbon economy.

Knowing the right questions to ask management on material environmental, social, and governance issues has become an important part of a board’s role. Five years ago, our research at NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business found U.S. public boards were not fit for this purpose — very few had the background and credentials necessary to provide oversight of  ESG topics such as climate, employee welfare, financial hygiene, and cybersecurity. Today, we find that while boards are still woefully underprepared in certain areas, there has been some important progress .

  • TW Tensie Whelan is a clinical professor of business and society and the director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, and she sits on the advisory boards of Arabesque and Inherent Group.

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COMMENTS

  1. 100 Social Work Research Topics and Tips on Choosing One

    50 Hot Research Topics for Social Work Students. Difference in approaching children vs adolescents suffering from domestic violence. Success stories in preventing child abuse in certain regions/states. Strategies to encourage women to report domestic violence cases. Damage to families with ongoing domestic violence.

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  9. Foundations of Social Work Research

    This textbook was created to provide an introduction to research methods for BSW and MSW students, with particular emphasis on research and practice relevant to students at the University of Texas at Arlington. It provides an introduction to social work students to help evaluate research for evidence-based practice and design social work research projects. It can be used with its companion, A ...

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    Criminal Justice Social Work Research Topics. Social work to enforce fair and honest criminal justice. Efforts to make a mentally better society to avoid critical crimes such as murder and assault. Role of social workers to improve the delivery of criminal justice. Research related to the effects of the conviction.

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    Research on Social Work Practice (RSWP), peer-reviewed and published eight times per year, is a disciplinary journal devoted to the publication of empirical research concerning the assessment methods and outcomes of social work practice. Intervention programs covered include behavior analysis and therapy; psychotherapy or counseling with individuals; case management; and education.

  20. 80 Social Work Research Topics

    Social work is a multidisciplinary field that addresses societal issues and promotes social change, making it an excellent area to explore for your research. Our comprehensive list of social work research topics covers a wide range of areas, including mental health, child welfare, community development, social justice, and more.

  21. Social Work Research Methods

    Social work researchers will send out a survey, receive responses, aggregate the results, analyze the data, and form conclusions based on trends. Surveys are one of the most common research methods social workers use — and for good reason. They tend to be relatively simple and are usually affordable.

  22. Topics in social work

    Topics in social work. Find resources specific to a particular interest or topic area. In this section. View all BASW Resources. ... Module 3: Person-centred and research informed practice within a multi-agency context (Social Work in Disasters Online Training) Module 4: Responding, using theory and self-care (Social Work in Disasters Online ...

  23. 145+ Best Social Work Research Topics and Ideas to Use

    Best Social Work Research Topics Ideas. Importee of group therapy in children. Ill effects of less child support. Effects of clinical depression. Impact of ADHD in foster homes related to kids. Effects of continued mobility in the lives of orphaned kids. The best counselling session for people suffering from PTSD.

  24. Shaping the future of behavioral and social research at NIA

    For the past four years, I've had the privilege of leading the Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR). Every day, I work with a talented and dedicated team united by our passion for improving healthspan as we age through social, psychological, economic, and behavioral research at both the individual and population levels.

  25. A profession with heart: Exploring social work careers that addressing

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  26. Marginalized communities developed 'disaster subculture' when living

    The study, published in the International Journal of Social Welfare, is part of Kang's larger body of work in climate justice and eco social work. Through that lens, he said hopes to learn more ...

  27. For Labor Day, Black workers' views and experiences of work

    A U.S. Postal Service employee scans a package. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) There are more than 21 million Black Americans in the U.S. labor force today. Their workforce experiences are varied but stand out from people of other races and ethnicities on several important measures: They are more likely to be employed in certain postal work, transit, health care and security fields; report ...

  28. Safety and Health at Work

    Occupational accidents and diseases lead to devastating impacts on workers, enterprises and entire communities and economies. Despite many improvements, the prevention of accidents and work-related diseases continues to have a considerable importance on a global scale.

  29. Research: Boards Still Have an ESG Expertise Gap

    Over the last five years, the percentage of Fortune 100 board members possessing relevant credentials rose from 29% to 43%. The role of U.S. public boards in managing environmental, social, and ...