Abstract

This paper argues that social work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is at an early developmental stage in relation to the implementation of effective services for children at risk of abuse. Research shows that social work training and practice has yet to develop an adequate indigenous response to child abuse. Additionally, it appears that crucial training for the detection of risk, as may be found in the wider international community, is not taught or practiced in the U.A.E, often due to cultural sensitivities regarding the open discussion of unlawful sexual practices in Islamic terms. A deficit in training in conjunction with disorganized social work responses to the issues of risk is not deemed sufficiently capable of adequately protecting children at risk due to a lack of legal frameworks and procedural guidelines to inform good practice.