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Social Work vocabulary · Child Protection and Safeguarding

At risk

Meaning in social work, with examples

phraseCore term

In social work, at risk means: In a situation where harm, abuse, neglect or another serious problem is likely to happen unless someone takes action.

In Turkish: risk altında, risk altındaki, tehlike altında

How it is used

Used after a noun or verb: children at risk, a young person at risk of exclusion, be at risk of homelessness. With a hyphen it comes before a noun: at-risk youth, at-risk families.

Example sentences

  1. The family is at risk of losing their flat because of rent arrears.

  2. The programme works with at-risk young people aged 14 to 18.

Common collocations

  • at risk of harm
  • children at risk
  • adults at risk
  • at-risk youth
  • at risk of homelessness
  • vulnerableMore likely than others to be harmed, exploited or left without support because of age, illness, disability, poverty or other circumstances.
  • risk assessmentA structured look at what harm might happen, how likely and how serious it is, and what can be done to reduce it.
  • safeguardingAll the measures taken to protect children and adults at risk from harm, abuse and neglect, and to promote their wellbeing.
  • significant harmIn UK child protection law, the level of harm, or likely harm, that justifies statutory action such as a formal investigation or care proceedings.

More terms: Child Protection and Safeguarding

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