This book contains four major lessons that include basic concepts on deviancy, which will help students comprehend its nature and connect it to the social problems that exist today. The theoretical foundations of deviancy were discussed in detail to enable students to understand the root of deviancy from every angle, which in turn will teach them to adopt an unbiased and non-judgmental attitude when interacting with their future clients. The lesson on personality, emotional, and behavioral disorders will not only expose students to the nature of each disorder but also enable them to understand the impact of these conditions on the individual, family, and community. It is important to connect this understanding to the reality that these disorders cause some individual and family problems.

This book has been written to respond to this problem. It aims to provide social work students with a text to help them acquire an understanding and appreciation of the basic knowledge and skills necessary for beginning competence in social work practice particularly with small groups, both in traditional settings such as hospitals, courts, and family and child-caring institutions, and in recently developed or emerging settings such as human settlements and women-oriented agencies. In addition, the book aims to provide social workers and administrators of group-serving agencies with a clear and up-to-date description of how small groups can be used as primary means of helping clients. The hope is that this book will also be of help to members of agency boards and volunteers who desire a deeper understanding of social work operations as well as to those in other countries, especially those who are in the social welfare field, who want to know about the nature of social work in the Philippines.