SWK363: Cecilia is 15 years old and in Secondary 3. She is the second of 3 children and stayed with her mother and maternal grandparents: Framework for Youth Issues Assignment, SUSS, Singapore

Cecilia is 15 years old and in Secondary 3. She is the second of 3 children and stayed with her mother and maternal grandparents after her parents divorced a year ago. Her elder brother, Joseph is 18 years old and her younger sister, Jennifer, is 13 years old. Cecilia is Chinese and Christian.

Cecilia has had a history of cutting her wrists since Primary 6 whenever she was anxious, as it was soothing. She did not think that there was anything wrong with this as she had read online that many teenagers were also doing this. There was no need to let anyone know about it and it was her secret. Whenever possible, she would use a long-sleeved jacket or blouse so that she could hide the cut marks.

Her mother, Maggie, worked 2 jobs to provide for the family and was usually too tired by the time she got home to check in on how Cecilia and her siblings were doing. As long as the teachers did not call her or the grandparents to complain, Maggie assumed they were doing fine. The children were close to their grandparents and would usually spend the weekend with their father, Justin, once a month.

Cecilia is a bright girl and has been performing well in school assessments. She especially enjoys literature and art as she finds she can express herself well in her dream world by writing and drawing. She however does not have many close friends and tends to keep to herself.

One day, her Form Teacher, Mrs. Gan, asked to speak to Cecilia about an art exhibition she wanted her to participate in. While talking to her, Mrs. Gan noticed the marks on her wrists, some of which were fresh cut marks. She was very concerned about Cecilia. Cecilia pleaded with Mrs. Gan not to inform her parents about this as they had enough worries on their minds. Mrs. Gan says she cannot promise this and decides to consult you, the in-house school social worker on the matter.

Question 1

Assess the presenting issues by analyzing the FIVE areas competencies of youth.

Question 2

Discuss the continuum of risk framework and analyze the level of risk Cecilia is facing. Provide justification for why the other levels of risk were not chosen.

Question 3

Identify TWO possible ethical dilemmas you, the school social worker might face in this case. Apply TWO relevant ethical principles or values to overcome each dilemma.