Part B (Q8): Write a note on Skills of Social Group Work.

Effective social group work requires a specialized set of skills. The group worker must constantly monitor not just what individuals are saying, but the complex web of interactions happening simultaneously.

1. Facilitation Skills

• Involving Everyone: Ensuring that quiet members are gently encouraged to speak and that dominant members do not monopolize the conversation.
• Active Listening and Responding: Listening to the underlying emotions of the group and reflecting those feelings back (e.g., "It sounds like the group is feeling very frustrated today").
• Summarizing: Periodically pulling together the main themes of a chaotic discussion so the group can see its progress.

2. Analytical and Assessment Skills

• Reading Non-Verbal Cues: A worker must have a "third eye" to observe body language. Is a member pulling their chair away? Is there eye-rolling when a certain person speaks?
• Assessing Group Dynamics: Identifying who holds the real power, recognizing scapegoating, and understanding where the group is in its developmental stage (e.g., recognizing that current fighting is just the "Storming" phase).

3. Conflict Resolution Skills

Conflict is inevitable. A skilled worker does not panic when members clash. They use skills to mediate, cool high tempers, and help members reframe the conflict as a difference of opinion rather than a personal attack, turning the conflict into a growth opportunity.

4. Program Planning Skills

The ability to select and design activities (games, role-plays, art) that are perfectly tailored to the group's current goals and developmental stage, and the flexibility to change the plan on the spot if it isn't working.

5. Confrontation Skills

While a worker is generally supportive, they must also have the skill to confront the group or individuals when they exhibit destructive behavior, break group rules, or are in denial, doing so in a way that is firm but not attacking.