THE SUSAN SMITH CASE: A SOCIAL SERVICES PERSPECTIVE
The behavior of Susan Smith in Union, South Carolina in October 1994 during which she confesses to having killed her two children is problably the most talked about case in the United States in the Fall of 1994 (Fox, Munro, and Perry, 1994, pp. 1A, 12A). This research reviews the Susan Smith case from a social services perspective. The emphasis in this research is not upon the grim details of what transpired, but rather focuses on social services concepts, programs, and experience that might provide insights into why such behavior occurred, and may point to actions that could have precluded the outcomes of the Susan Smith case.
This research considers the Susan Smith case from three social service perspectives. First, a consideration is given to the ways in which the actions of state child protective services might have prevented Susan Smith's behaviors that led to death of her two children. Second, macro sociological data is reviewed with an end of placing Susan Smith's actions within the context of national trends. Third, other governmental social services that might have contributed to a positive change in the outcome of this case are reviewed.
The demands placed upon human services personnel generally and upon child welfare personnel specifically in American society in the 1990s are far more complex and difficult than were those placed on these personnel a decade earlier. Further, the potential for additional and significant changes in these demands over the coming ten years appears to be strong. The complex demands placed on child welfare personnel may be appreciated through a consideration of the following factors:
1. Child protective services are expected by society to both assure the safety of children at risk and to preserve the integrity of the family unit. In many instances, these goals are inconsistent with one another. When a human services case work...