Social Work and Violence - Relativizing Extreme Right Youth Violence in Germany

“There was a teenager who was a Nazi... In a bomber jacket, bald head and combat boots and all that. [...]And at some point he actually poured petrol over himself in front of our youth club, set himself on fire and ran into our crowded club, claiming that the Zecken [derogatory term for leftists] had set him on fire. And died burning in the club. And he ran towards me and I saw his eyes burst open” (Maik, 2022)

Social work faces a dilemma when addressing extreme right youth, one that reveals both ethical and practical boundaries. In line with the profession’s self-conception, these young individuals are entitled to support. At the same time these teenagers espouse fundamentally opposing the humanistic values that underpin social work. This conflict creates a central paradox, presenting challenges for professionals in their day-to-day practice.

In my biographical research, it became evident that not only the young individuals affected by extreme right violence suffer from it within the youth centre, but the social workers themselves as well. The data further reveal that young people impacted by extreme right-wing violence often eventually avoid the youth centre, whereas the social workers remain and endure the situation. In recounting their experiences, social workers tend to downplay the violence they face or normalise it as part of their everyday working life.

In my talk, I aim to specifically address the often overlooked violence experienced by social workers in youth centres when working with right extremist youths. Through an analysis of biographical interviews with social workers, I intend to highlight the internal ‘I’ factors within them that result in this violence being insufficiently acknowledged or addressed. This, in turn, leads me to pose the question: why, for these social workers, is too much still not enough?