At the forefront and at the intersection of a wide range of social issues, street work – referred to in French-speaking Switzerland as ‘travail social hors murs’ (TSHM) – is essentially characterised by the action of « reaching out » to people on the streets and in their living environments. While the remit is essentially educational and health-related, it often stems from problems of insecurity. What do the terms security and insecurity refer to? How is social street work perceived? Subjected to the same logic of the State, how does it coexist with professions devoted to maintaining order and repressive action? What ethical framework does this presuppose? Together with the professionals concerned, representatives of the forces of law and order and members of the public in street situations, the author helps to answer these questions.

This is a valuable contribution to the profession, revealing a methodology for action, highlighting the limits of partnership, exploring ‘taboo’ notions from a philosophical perspective, raising ethical questions and opening up new avenues for practice, research and training.

at the intersection.