The Table page displays a submission's general information and data using tabular layout. Watch video
Submission information
Submission Number: 171
Submission ID: 1161
Submission UUID: 0b60f688-4051-45da-a4cd-9ba8b976edba
Submission URI: /2025/abstracts
Created: Fri, 06/13/2025 - 08:55
Completed: Fri, 06/13/2025 - 09:05
Changed: Tue, 06/24/2025 - 08:59
Remote IP address: 165.0.98.50
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Current page: Complete
Webform: Abstract
| Title | Ms. |
|---|---|
| Lastname | Malgas |
| Firstname | Thelma |
| Thelma.Malgas@westerncape.gov.za | |
| Mobile | 0795841623 |
| Institution | Department of social development western cape & university of the western cape |
| Biosketch | Thelm Malgas is a registered social worker and MPhil (Law) candidate at the University of the Western Cape. With nine years’ experience across therapeutic, residential, and policy settings—five of which have been at the Department of Social Development—her work spans child protection, disability services, and gender-based violence. She currently serves as a policy developer in the Victim Empowerment Programme, focusing on human trafficking. Her research explores the legal and ethical challenges social workers face in implementing the Form 3 assessment tool to confirm adult trafficking victims, using a human rights and social justice lens grounded in Green Social Work theory. |
| Is there a Second Presenter? | No |
| Title of Presentatation | Examining the Legal and Ethical Challenges in the Implementation of the Assessment Tool for the Identification of Adult Victims of Trafficking: A Social Work Perspective |
| Theme Selection | THEME 6: Main-streaming Digital and Assessment Tools in Social Work Practice |
| Subtheme SIX Selection | SUB 6.5 Ethical Implications and challenges of digital adoption in social work. |
| Select your Presentation Type | Oral Presentation |
| Abstract | Human trafficking remains a complex global issue, intensified by the hidden nature of the crime and difficulties in confirming victim status. In South Africa, the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons (PACOTIP) Act, 2013, mandates that social workers confirm the trafficking status of adults using the Form 3 assessment tool. This responsibility places social workers at the intersection of legal obligation and ethical practice, raising concerns about role appropriateness, procedural justice, and professional integrity. This study investigates the legal and ethical challenges that arise from the implementation of Form 3, adopting a Green Social Work lens that prioritizes human rights, social justice, and the structural factors shaping vulnerability. The research explores how international frameworks and national legislation are translated into practice and examines how policy frameworks operationalize the social worker’s role in confirming trafficking status within the Department of Social Development. Using a qualitative research approach and a descriptive, exploratory, and contextual design, the study draws on document analysis and semi-structured interviews with social workers across eight South African provinces. It aims to uncover the professional experiences and systemic barriers that affect the fair and accurate identification of trafficking victims. Findings will illuminate the tensions between ethical social work principles and rigid legal frameworks, particularly where confirmation processes occur without parallel law enforcement investigations. The study contributes to the discourse on how social workers navigate these complexities and how policy and structural reforms might better align with ethical and justice-based practice. Ultimately, the research advocates for more context-sensitive, ethically grounded approaches that support social workers in carrying out their roles within the legal system while upholding the dignity and rights of trafficking victims. |
| Title | Prof |
| Firstname | John |
| Lastname | Rautenbach |
| Does the Abstract fit the selected Theme? | |
| What Area does this Abstract Focus on? | |
| Status | Accepted |
| Title | Dr |
| Firstname | Nthabiseng |
| Lastname | Latakgomo |
| Does the Abstract fit the selected Theme? | Yes |
| What Area does this Abstract Focus on? | Empirical Research |
| Status | Accepted |