Language Bias in Child Welfare (1 credit hour)

Program Summary:  This course explores the potential harms of biased language in child welfare practice and offers strategies for reducing implicit or unconscious bias and improving practice.  The course examines key concepts to understanding language bias in child welfare, including neutral language, labels, the concrete-to abstract continuum, and sociolinguistic inequality.  Examples of non-stigmatizing and preferred terms are offered.

This course is recommended for social workers and counselors and is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels of practice.  

“Book  Open the Course Reading Here.

Course Reading:  Language Bias in Child Welfare

Authors:  Tammy Richards, M.Ed., Terrica Dang-Mertz, B.A., and Elliott Graham, Ph.D., James Bell Associates

Publisher:  Children’s Bureau

Additional Reading:  Preferred Terms for Select Population Groups and Communities/CDC

Course Objectives:  To enhance professional practice, values, skills and knowledge by exploring implicit language bias in child welfare.

Learning Objectives:  Describe how labels can lead to implicit bias and stereotypes.  Describe the linguistic category model and the abstract-concrete continuum.  Describe the process to elicit and document objective family information.

Review our pre-reading study guide.

Course Available Until: September 30, 2027.

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1: Marginalized families are _________ in the US child welfare system.
 
 
2: __________ bias refers to unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect the interpretation of information and subsequent decisions and responses.
 
 
3: Recurring language patterns that reflect bias are often ___________ and may be difficult to censor.
 
 
4: The use of _________ evokes stronger stereotypical expectations in a hearer.
 
 
5: The linguistic category model classifies language on a continuum from
 
 
 
 
6: "She explained her relationship with her daughter during the team meeting" is an example of ___________.  (Exhibit 1)
 
 
 
 
7: "Could you describe exactly how he was dressed and how he looked?" is an example of ____________.  (Exhibit 2)
 
 
 
 
8: When a judge referred to a mother by ____________, her children were more likely to achieve permanency within 12 months of initial removal.
 
 
9: Which of the following is an example of stigmatizing language used by child welfare professionals? (Exhibit 5)
 
 
 
 
 
 
10: Some research suggests that relationships with providers and adherence to treatment may be more negatively affected when
 
 

In order to purchase or take this course, you will need to log in. If you do not have an account, you will need to register for a free account.

After you log in, a link will appear here that will allow you to purchase this course.

G.M. Rydberg-Cox, MSW, LSCSW is the Continuing Education Director at Free State Social Work and responsible for the development of this course.  She received her Masters of Social Work in 1996 from the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois-Chicago and she has over 20 years of experience.  She has lived and worked as a social worker in Chicago, Boston, and Kansas City. She has practiced for many years in the area of hospital/medical social work.  The reading materials for this course were developed by another organization.

Course Available Until: September 30, 2027.
Filed under: Children, Implicit Bias