Van der Merwe, MarietteHope, Jackie2016-02-122016-02-122013Hope, J. & Van Der Merwe, M. 2013. An intergenerational perspective on risk and protective factors in multi–problem poor families living in Cape Town. Social work/Maatskaplike werk, 49(3):309-331. [http://socialwork.journals.ac.za/pub/index]0037-80542312-7198 (Online)http://hdl.handle.net/10394/16274http://socialwork.journals.ac.za/pub/indexhttp://socialwork.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/49http://dx.doi.org/10.15270/49-3-49At the time of the research the first author was employed as a social worker at a welfare organisation in the Cape Peninsula with a case load of over 300 clients. About 30 of these cases were multi-problem families who had been receiving social work services over at least three generations. The concern was that these multi-problem poor families seemed to be immobilised and found it difficult to break out of the cycle of poverty and welfare dependencyenArticle