The role of intuition in social work practice: Differing understandings and attitudes

Abstract

There has been a long debate about the use of intuition in helping professions, including social work. Often viewed negatively in professional contexts, intuition is nonetheless used as a form of risk assessment. The current research examined methods of identifying child sexual abuse. A mixed methods approach was taken, with 98 participants completing an online questionnaire and 24 taking part in in-depth interviews. The participants demonstrated varied perceptions of intuition and its usefulness. Although some participants were strongly critical of its use, for others, intuition or ‘gut feelings’ were preferred to formal assessment tools. However, what was discussed as intuition, rather than a form of ‘sixth sense’, was often based on tacit knowledge; for example, abused young people’s observable behaviours combined with known risk factors such as certain family characteristics. Therefore, concerns about the use of intuition may be based on incorrect assumptions.