To Örebro University

Children's and young people's opinions and experiences are important to listen to, as they offer perspectives that adults might not be aware of otherwise. Yet children are often viewed as a vulnerable group in need of protection, with adults talking for them instead of letting them speak for themselves. Sometimes this might be the correct decision. However, it is also important to let children and young people participate in research on their own terms, to identify, for example, what kind of support they might need in relation to problems they have experienced. Based on previous research, we revisit this topic and discuss it's relevance today, once again asking the question of how best to involve children in research in order to hear their views and opinions on matters that concern them. We base our experiences on a research project examining what sheltered housing means for children living there.

Varje år utsätts ett stort antal barn för olika former av våld och en del av dessa barn tvingas fly till skyddat boende. Att lyfta fram dessa barns situation vid en vistelse på skyddat boende är därför av vikt. Mot denna bakgrund kommer vi i denna föreläsning presentera resultat från forskningsprojektet ”Artikel 19 – Vad en vistelse på skyddat boende betyder för våldsutsatta barn”. 

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze mothers’ narratives about their children’s life situation while living at domestic violence shelters in Sweden. More precisely, the analysis focuses on determining what aspects are highlighted as being most important for the children’s living situation during their stay.

Method: This study is based on interviews with mothers who have experience of living at a domestic violence shelter together with their young child/ren. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the narratives.

Results: The analysis resulted in seven themes important for the children’s lives during their shelter stay. These are: safety, isolation, a child-friendly environment, shared living space, social relations at the shelter, children’s health during their stay, and support at the shelter.

Conclusion: In the narratives, safety was highlighted as the most important issue, and as something that also affects other aspects of the children’s lives during their time at the shelter. A child-friendly environment, access to activities and support, and positive social relations at the shelter are also important. In addition, positive experiences regarding these aspects can be understood to counteract the feeling of isolation and improve children’s ability to process their experiences.

Although childhood violence by any person is negative for children, little is known about whether violence by different family members is linked differently to problems in young adulthood, as family relationships might play different roles in children’s individual development. In this study, we examine parent and sibling violence and associations with emotional and behavioral problems, directly and indirectly via peer victimization. We used retrospective reports from 347 young adults (aged 20–24) who all reported childhood family physical violence, and we performed a path analysis using Mplus. The results showed that participants who had been victimized by a sibling only or by both a sibling and parent were more likely to report peer victimization than were participants who had been victimized by parents only. Peer victimization was, in turn, linked to more aggres- sion, criminality, and anxiety. Theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.

Although childhood violence by any person is negative for children little is known about whether violence by different family members is linked differently to problems in young adulthood as family relationships might play different roles in children’s individual development. In this study we examine parent and sibling violence and associations with emotional and behavioral problems directly and indirectly via peer victimization. We used retrospective reports from 347 young adults (aged 20–24) who all reported childhood family physical violence and we performed a path analysis using Mplus. The results showed that participants who had been victimized by a sibling only or by both a sibling and parent were more likely to report peer victimization than were participants who had been victimized by parents only. Peer 127 victimization was in turn linked to more aggression criminality and anxiety. Theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.

One way for young people to reduce the risk of problems associated with having experienced family violence is to talk about their experiences with a counselor. However, little is known about how young people judge the quality of such relationships. The aim of this study was to analyze what young people describe as valuable in their relationship with the counselor with whom they talked about experiences of family violence. Fourteen semi-structured interviews with nine young people between the ages 12 and 19 years were analyzed using a thematic method. The participants were recruited within an evaluation of a treatment program in Sweden. The thematic analysis revealed four distinct themes about what the young people described as particularly valuable aspects of the counseling relationship: the opportunity to talk, a model for other relationships, and going "in and out of" the topic of violence, which was valued by the younger teenagers; and being listened to "almost like an adult", which was valued by the older teenagers. The abstracted common thread was the importance for the young people of feeling equal to others somehow. The quality of the relationship between helper and helped is of central importance for young people and what specifically, from young people’s point of view, constitutes such quality for younger and older teenagers respectively. The results indicate the benefit of counselors being especially flexible with young people exposed to violence and being able to establish trustful relationships with them.

This study aimed to a) examine the presence of children in relation to victim vulnerability factors and assessed risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) re-victimization, and b) examine the police response, in terms of risk management, in IPV cases with and without children, respectively. Data from a sample of 1407 women who had reported IPV victimization to the Swedish police was analyzed. The material consisted of risk assessments conducted by the police using the Swedish version of the Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER) checklist, as well as the recommended risk management strategies. A series of chi-square tests of independence revealed that women with and without children, respectively, displayed different vulnerability factors to different extents. Women with children expressed more extreme fear of the perpetrator and were more likely to have an unsafe living situation, whereas women without children displayed more inconsistent attitudes or behaviors and health problems. However, binary logistic regression analyses showed that the victim vulnerability factors that were most strongly associated with an elevated risk rating for IPV re-victimization were generally the same for both groups of victims. Finally, the presence of children was related to a higher risk rating for imminent IPV re-victimization and to recommendations of more than standard levels of risk management strategies. The results indicate that the Swedish police consider the presence of children in relation to a victim’s risk for re-victimization as well as in terms of recommended risk management strategies.

I Sverige går majoriteten av de barn som varit på förhör på grund av misstanke om barnmisshandel hem till sina föräldrar och misstänkta förövare utan hjälp eller stöd från samhället. Efter barnförhöret (EBF) ären modell för stöd och information till barn och föräldrar vid misstanke om barnmisshandel. Som en del i ett större forskningsprojekt undersöker vi familjebehandlares erfarenheter av att arbeta med EBF samt dess styrkor och svagheter.

In recent years there has been a decline in language skills among the younger population in Sweden. Within several different academic programs it has been observed that students arriving at the universities do not have the skills needed to make use of what is taught. This raises a number of problems, especially within social work education, because language skills, both written and oral, are important tools for practicing social work. This article presents a way of meeting this challenge and improving the students’ skills by including them in discussions on how to write academically as part of teaching method called language guidance. The students reflect upon their own and other students’ texts, and discuss how they can be improved with regard to spelling, grammar, paragraphing, and clarity. Overall, the resources devoted to improving students’ language skills have resulted in improvements in the essays the student write later on in their education.

Background: Victimization early in life can result in both short and long term consequences such as mental health problems or behavioral changes. For this reason the young victims might need support to handle their victimization and move on after it. However, from previous research it is known that both professional support (e.g. psychologists, social workers) and support from family and friends have varying effect.

Objectives: For this reason, the aim was to investigate which needs of support young victims in Sweden express, both verbally and non-verbally, and how these needs have been matched with, to them, available support services. Method: 19 narrative interviews with young victim of crime.

Results: The results show that the victims want professionals and their family and friends to understand what they are going through, and that they want information about what is going to happen in the police investigation and upcoming trial. These two aspects then laid the foundation for how the victimization was processed, with those who received information and understanding for their situation, moved on from it faster than those who did not receive it.

Conclusion: Information and understanding from other people are importance aspects when young victims process their victimization. Implications for both practice and research are discussed.

Narrative interviews with young victims of crime can provide information regarding their unique situations and how the victimization has affected their lives. However, the method can be intrusive, and not all young people are able to safeguard their personal integrity. This research note offers reflections on the use of narrative interviews with young victims of crime, and on interview situations that raised ethical quandaries about whether to discontinue the interviews to reduce the risk of harm. The note starts with a brief description of research on sensitive topics, the study, and the narrative method. After that, I reflect upon some interview situations that have left me wondering what I could have done differently, resulting in suggestions on what could be changed.

Varje år utsätts ett antal unga personer för brott av varierande allvarlighet. I relation till detta konstruerar de sitt eget offerskap genom att positionera sig i relation till exempelvis ålders- och offerkategorier. Från tidigare forskning är det känt att hur unga konstruerar sitt offerskap får konsekvenser för hur de ses som offer. I denna studie undersöks därför hur unga personer förhandlar och positionerar sig i relation till offerkategorier och hur det påverkar tillgången till och deras mottaglighet för stöd. Narrativ analys har genomförts av fyra unga personers berättelser av att ha varit utsatta för brott. Analyserna visar på komplexiteten av konstruktionen av offerskap, där några positioner har mer tillgång till stödinsatser än andra. Till detta finns även tidsaspekten, där unga personer skiftar i positionering över tid. Även detta påverkar tillgången till och mottagligheten för stöd, men det omvända förhållandet föreligger också som i sin tur även det påverkar hur unga positionerar sig. Dessa resultat är av vikt för den fortsatta utvecklingen av stödinsatser till unga brottsutsatta och för att understryka att ett initialt avvisande av stöd inte nödvändigtvis betyder att stöd inte behövs.

Victimization early in life can have several serious consequences, one of which concerns young people’s schoolwork. The present study therefore aims to investigate what support young people need to keep up with their schoolwork, based on their needs following victimization. The material consists of narrative interviews with 19 young people who were the plaintiffs at trials when they were 15–19 years old. The results show that several of the young victims did not want to go to school due to the risk of meeting their perpetrator, and because of that their grades declined when they were not physically present in school, they lost their motivation to study. There is also variation between the young victims about whether they perceive that the schools supported them and/or made adaptations to make sure they could continue with their schoolwork. The schools have a responsibility to make some adaptations, but it is not clear how far this responsibility stretches or to what extent the young victims themselves have been a part of the process. For this reason, they might not have perceived the potential adaptations and support they received from their schools as supportive. Suggestions are given concerning what the schools and other authorities need to think about when working with young victims of crime to make sure they continue with their schoolwork as much as possible.

Victimization early in life can result in a number of different short and long-term consequences, for which young people might need help and support. However, from previous research it is unclear what kind of support young people perceive as supportive. The present dissertation therefore aims to theoretically and empirically investigate young people’s experiences of victimization and support. The aim is operationalized in three questions: (1) To what extent do young people with experiences of various types of victimization seek and receive support, both from professionals and from family and friends? (2) How do young people understand and construct themselves as victims? (3) How is support constructed, and which needs for support do young people perceive themselves as having after their victimization? The dissertation uses a mixed methods approach building on a quantitative dataset consisting of a survey with 2500 participants, and a qualitative dataset consisting of 19 narrative interviews with young victims of crime. The results show that few young victims seek and receive professional psychosocial support, while a greater percentage of them receive support from family and friends. Theoretically, this can be understood through how young victims construct their own victimhood, which affects what kind of support they received and perceived as supportive. Each individual describes what he or she perceived as supportive with regard to the victimization, which included firstly information and practical help, and secondly talking about the victimizing event. Information enabled the young victims to participate in the judicial and support process more on their own conditions, as they understood what was going to happen. Because of this, support as a concept needs to include various types of support adapted to the individual’s specific needs and circumstances. This means that specific types of support need to be constructed by the support provider together with the individual victim. This calls for a collaborative practice when supporting young victims of crime and for the support to be as individualized as possible.

Criminal victimization early in life can lead to serious consequences such as mental health problems, behavioural changes, and school difficulties. To reduce these possible consequences, support is important; however, little is known from research about what support after victimization means. Therefore, using 19 narrative interviews, the present study analyzes how young people in Sweden construct their need for support, and what they perceive as supportive. The interviews are analysed with thematic narrative analysis, using the concepts of agency and communion. From the results, it is concluded that victimization risks damaging victims’ sense of agency and communion. To repair the damage, the young victims describe wanting information and psychosocial support from professionals, family, and friends. In particular, information is lacking, but professionals also need to focus on building trusting relationships. Because each individual constructs his or her own need for support based on the damages experienced, the support needs vary. Hence, support must be adapted to the individual, and to what he or she perceives as supportive in relation to the social setting.

Victimization early in life can result in both short and long­ term consequences such as mental health problems or behavioral changes, leading to a need of support from, for example, social work professionals or family and friends. The aim of this study is to investigate, using 19 narrative interview, what support means to young victims of crime. The results show that young victims’ want to be respected and understood in relation to their unique situation, and that they need information to understand what is happening around them, for example, in the judicial process. Using agency and communal bonds as theoretical concepts, it is clear that support cannot focus on just one type of need, as the needs often follow on each other. Support becomes a restoration of communal bonds that result in a possibility to exercise agency. For this reason, support need to be adapted to the individual in his or her social context to make sure that support is actually perceived as support.

Every year, a number of youths are victims of crimes with different severity. To cope with the victimization, these young victims are often offered support from their social network or professionals. However, in previous research it is known that they rarely seek support for a number reasons, such as shame and not wanting to be seen as victims as it has negative connotations. This study therefore address how youths position themselves in relation to the victimization, and which consequences this might have for both their receptivity and the availability of support. Narrative analyses was conducted, with four youths in focus. The analysis shows the complexity of constructing victimhood, where some positions as victims grant more support than others. Adding to this is the time aspect, where the victims shift between positions over time, which affects both the receptivity and the availability of support, but also the other way around; affecting the positioning. These results are of importance to further develop support services for young victims, and to make sure that an initial refusal of support by a youth does not necessary mean that support is not needed.

Every year, a number of youths are victims of crimes with different severity. To cope with the victimization, these young victims are often offered support from their social network or professionals. However, in previous research it is known that they rarely seek support for a number reasons, such as shame and not wanting to be seen as victims as it has negative connotations. This study therefore address how youths position themselves in relation to the victimization, and which consequences this might have for both their receptivity and the availability of support. Narrative analyses was conducted, with four youths in focus. The analysis shows the complexity of constructing victimhood, where some positions as victims grant more support than others. Adding to this is the time aspect, where the victims shift between positions over time, which affects both the receptivity and the availability of support, but also the other way around; affecting the positioning. These results are of importance to further develop support services for young victims, and to make sure that an initial refusal of support by a youth does not necessary mean that support is not needed.

Becoming a victim of crime can be a traumatic experience, which calls for post-victimisation psychosocial support. In Sweden, this kind of support is offered by both governmental, for example, municipal social services (MSS), and nongovernmental organisations such as Victim Support (VS). The present study investigates (a) how many municipalities have a written agreement to collaborate with other organisations, and what kind of services they offer within their own organisation, (b) if there are differences between what support the MSS offer to victims depending on collaboration and (c) how do MSS staff, VS staff and crime victims describe the actual collaboration and support? Publicly available information from the National Board of Health and Welfare was analysed, in addition to a case study of three municipalities’ work with victims of crime. The case study consists of nine interviews with social workers from MSS, crime victim coordinators from VS and crime victims. The results from the survey indicate that collaboration between the MSS and VS is occurring in some municipalities to access missing competence or to outsource services from the MSS. However, results show that collaboration does not exist in every municipality, and one reason for this, according to interview information, is to protect the confidentiality of the clients. The challenges and advantages of collaboration between the MSS and VS are discussed together with practical implications for the crime victim field.

Becoming a crime victim is a traumatic experience, and victims often need psychosocial support in the aftermath of the incident. In Sweden, the municipal social services (MSS) have a responsibility to ensure that victims receive post victimization support; however in reality, nongovernmental organizations such as Victim Support often execute the support services. The aim of the study was to investigate how the MSS fulfill their responsibility for psychosocial support to crime victims. Further, the aim was to explore to what extent and in what way they collaborate with Victim Support. In total, nine interviews were conducted with social workers from the MSS, crime victim coordinators from Victim Support, and crime victims; from three medium-sized municipalities. Results show that the MSS are not successful in fulfilling their responsibility; the main reason being that social workers do not see this service as their primary responsibility. As a result, victims are referred directly to Victim Support, as they are more experienced supporting crime victims. However, this distinct diversion is not as apparent in municipalities who, instead of just referring to, collaborate with Victim Support. Here, there is a clear, shared responsibility for the support, through collaboration and coordination of interventions, to ensure that the victims receive the best support. The results also show that social workers within the MSS lack knowledge about crime victims’ reactions and needs, which calls for extended collaboration with mental health experts, to ensure that victims receive adequate support. One of the difficulties with collaboration is the confidentiality issue. The victim themselves need to give active consent for collaboration if it takes place on an individual level. This issue is analyzed from a structural view point, and solutions and obstacles are discussed. This is of great importance to policy makers in their decisions regarding support to crime victim organizations.

The present study aims to analyze how young people narratively negotiate their position as victims, how their social surroundings react to their victim positioning and what types of support they are offered. It is argued that those who position themselves as innocent victims receive support, while those who do not position themselves as such are left to fend for themselves. It is concluded that receiving support functions as a way for young victims to keep intact their narratives of who they are; while young people who did not receive support and acceptance for their positioning needed to re-negotiate their narrative to make sense of who they are after the victimization. Thereby, the victimizing event was incorporated into their narrative identity.

Each year a large number of children are exposed to violence in their homes, for example, by witnessing one parent using violence against the other, or experiencing violence directed at them personally. As a result, together with a parent, often the mother, the children might need to flee from the violence to a domestic violence shelter. The present study is set in a Swedish context and aims to analyse mothers’ narratives of the initial time at a domestic violence shelter for mothers and their young children (aged 0–6), with a focus on children’s right to protection and participation. The study consists of interviews with thirteen mothers, which are analysed using thematic analysis. The findings show that the children rarely know why they are at the shelter, and that it is an unfamiliar place for them, as they have little knowledge of what a shelter is. The children also seem to be afraid of losing their mothers, which is expressed in how they monitor their mothers. Based on the findings, the children need to build trustful relationships, a process that takes time but can already begin on the first day at the shelter. The first day signifies the start of something different, which means that the mothers and children need time to settle into their new lives.

Little is known about mothers’ and children's escape from violence and its aftermath when living in secure accommodation, especially with regard to children. The aim is to investigate mothers’ experiences of their escape, and their considerations regarding the well-being of their young children before or during their escape, based on 14 interviews. Using a narrative thematic analysis, the results show that the escape was often planned, but that the planning horizon varies. In many cases, the mothers’ social network served as a stepping-stone during the escape, before they continued by moving to a domestic violence shelter (DVS). Implications for policy and practice are offered.

Covid-19 has changed the way research can be conducted. The present literature review, based on 29 studies (2008–2020), investigates and compiles existing research to identify possibilities and limitations of using digital interviews within social work, sociology and adjacent disciplines. The results show that digital interviews can enhance long-distance participation, and that they may be cost-effective. However, technical difficulties can arise that adversely affect the quality of the interviews. Concerning sensitive topics (e.g., victimization, health issues, sexuality), more rich data can be reached with digital options than with in-person options, but it can be difficult to read visual cues, as the camera only captures the participants’ upper body. Based on these results, it is important to strike a balance between the positive and negative aspects associated with digital interviews, and to understand that digital interviews are something different than in-person interviews, with their own logic and rules.

Domestic violence (DV) shelters provide a safe place for women and children; however, they are only intended to be a temporary solution until residents can find a safe place of their own. In Sweden, the social services are responsible for helping and supporting victims of DV to get away from the violence, which can include everything from practical help and housing to emotional support. The present article aims to investigate mothers' descriptions of leaving a DV shelter where they were staying with their children. Interviews with 13 mothers of children aged 0–6 years are analysed using thematic analysis. The results show that the process of leaving a DV shelter begins almost as soon as the mother and her children arrive, as it can take quite some time to find a new safe place and to mentally prepare for the move. Additionally, it takes a lot of effort to plan for life outside the shelter. This involves hardship for the mothers and children, meaning that they need support from both shelter staff and social services. Implications for social work practice and policy are discussed.

Several studies show that young crime victims might need psychosocial support to cope with their experiences. However, few youth victims actually seek help; either because they do not need it, or because the benefits of support to not way up costs of acknowledging victimization. This study therefore aim to investigate (1) From whom have youth victimized to different types and amounts of types of crimes and/or abuse sought and received professional and/or network support?(2) To what extent do youth victimized to different amounts of types of crimes and/or abuse judge the professional support as having met their expectations? And, (3) to what extent do victims that have received professional or network support after different amounts of types of victimization report emotional problems? In total, 2,500 20-24 year-olds were asked about their experiences of lifetime victimization and connected help-seeking, where the present study focus on the 2,160 participants who had been exposed to property crime, physical, verbal and/or sexual abuse. The results show that most youth victims had received support from family and friends, even though some also sought help from public institutions or non-profit organizations. These results appears for both specific types of crimes and for multiple victimization for different types of crimes. Further, most of the victims feel that the support was right for them and that it had made a positive difference; however, those who had been victimized of three or four types of offences were more negative. When it comes to mental health in adulthood, overall, most of the victims who had received either professional or network support, have few symptoms of problems; although, those with multiple victimization, have more symptoms. The results from the study is of importance for both support providers and the research community, to understand where young victims seek and receive support post-victimization in relation to well-being in early adulthood, which can lead to support services being better matched with the needs of the victim.  

Numerous studies have shown that victims of crime might need professional help and psychosocial support post-victimization. However, studies also show that victims not always receive the support they need and wish to have, due to public institutions and non-profit organizations being unclear about their different roles and responsibilities. This study therefore seeks to investigate the relationship between which organizations/support providers young female and male victims of different crimes have sought help from, from whom they received it, and whether they were satisfied with what they received. Data consists of 2,500 survey responses from 20-24 year-olds about their experiences of victimization during childhood and adolescence and connected help-seeking. The implications for public welfare institutions, such as social welfare and psychiatry, and non-profit organizations, such as the Association for Victim Support, are discussed.

The authors use survey data on 2,160 young victims of crime and/or abuse in Sweden to examine whether professional psychosocial and/or social network support meets their needs. The results show that the likelihood of having sought and/or received professional psychosocial support increases with being a victim of more types of crime and/or abuse, as does the likelihood of experiencing anxiety and/or posttraumatic stress.

The aim of this systematic integrative review was to review existing research on children in domestic violence shelters, and specifically to examine previous research on how shelters contribute to children’s life situation after leaving a violent home. The review includes 28 scientific articles published between 1984 and 2021. These were thematically analyzed and discussed using a children’s rights perspective to identify strengths and limitations in existing research and social work practice. The analysis resulted in five themes: (1) safety and security, (2) health, behavior, and support, (3) schooling, (4) spare time and shelter environment, and (5) social relationships. Safety and security is a theme of great importance, and if this aspects is lacking, it can adversely affect other areas of the children’s lives. Overall, the children feel safe at the shelters, and they appreciate the playgrounds and activities offered by the shelter. They often make friends at the shelter. The children’s right to be protected from violence appears to be prioritized, but the studies show the importance of also acknowledging children’s rights to support, education, recreational time, and social relationships, to improve their life situation at the shelter.

Sweden and Germany are often compared, which suggests that much can be learned from each country. One aspect that needs further investigation concerns support for young victims of crime. The study therefore compares the Swedish and German welfare systems’ handling of young victims who need support after victimization, to see what can be learned from each respective country. The comparisons make it clear that both countries’ support systems developed out of similar social movements in the 1970s. However, there are differences between the two welfare states’ approaches to supporting young people. The reasons for the similarities and differences are discussed, along with practical implications for social policy.

From previous research it is well known that victimization can have various short- and long-term consequences resulting in a need for support to cope with the victimization. Research also shows, however, that not all victims of crime seek or receive support. One cause of this might be the conditions and constraints that affect professionals’ matching of support services with individual victims’ needs. The purpose of the present conceptual paper is to discuss how professionals can co-produce support services with the individual victim and if needed engage suitable external organizations for the purpose of adapting support services to the individual victim’s needs, while also considering the complex field of constraints that professionals need to navigate during this process. The paper makes two main contributions. First, it conceptualizes the complex field of constraints as consisting of five sets of conditions (mandatory, local, professional, support-user, and inter-organizational conditions), which professionals must navigate during the co-production of victim support services. Second, the paper suggests a seven-step process of how professionals can navigate this complex field during co-production of victim support services’ activities with the individual victim, and potentially those of external organizations as well.