Working with Young and Addicted : a Study From the Point of View of Professional Social Worker

Abstract: This study explores how the Social Services work with the issue of adolescents using drugs or are at the beginning of a drug abuse and how the professionals view that work. This study is highly based on the real-life experience of professionals and them valuing the profession that they in. A qualitative research method was used to go into the depth of people's feelings and knowledge and therefore got us a better understanding. Semi-structured interviews with open questions was used to create a secure and comfortable place to open up for a good conversation. We have used two different theories,  Labelling Theory and Social Learning Theories in this study to help explain the findings from research and interviews. In the results and analysis, we found four interesting themes that were prominent during the interviews, these were: social exclusion, mental illness, Attitudes towards drugs and preventive work. The themes will be explained and further developed in the analysis which was done through an un-official method with influences such as coding and thematising from the content analysis method. The results of the study showed the importance, but unfortunate lack, of preventive work by the Social Services. Keywords: Social Services, Adolescents, Drugs, Preventive Work