While it may be argued that the case raises some valid concerns about the family's functioning, it may also be argued that it was the mere presence of the authorities in the home which exacerbated the family's functioning to the extent that further intervention became a consideration. Moreover, once removal of the children became a consideration, the authorities may have been negligent by virtue of having failed to adequately weigh the consequences of removal against the alternative of leaving the family intact in terms of which option provided the least detrimental alternative for the children . The philosophical underpinning of psychotherapeutic intervention in the field of social work, however, may itself be a significant part of the equation. Family preservation services, intrusive and possibly irritating, may actually exacerbate bad situations, producing harmful effects. Although the deterioration of subjects as a result of care may appear to be theoretically remote, it remains a live possibility of psychotherapy, and therefore cannot be summarily dismissed in any service involving counseling.
Matters can only be worse in the event that a child is actually removed from the home.
For the parents, removing a child is psychologically devastating, and can do irreparable damage to their bond of affection and commitment. In addition, many forms of maltreatment stem from how the parent and child relate to each other. Separation obviously cannot aid in the resolution of such problems. The period of separation may so completely tear the already weak family fabric that the parents have no chance of coping with the children when they are returned. The true extent of the problem is potentially far more significant than one might care to imagine.