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Research on domestic violence shelters, or refuges, for abused mothers and children is limited, especially research with a focus on children’s lives and living conditions. To make the research that has been done historically visible, this chapter compiles and describes previous research that focused on children with experience of living in domestic violence shelters. The chapter chronologically describes how the field has grown over time and included new research topics and been extended to several different national contexts. The chapter concludes, despite the valuable research that has been done in the field, that it is nevertheless desirable if the field can grow to include new questions and perspectives, to further develop the knowledge regarding children who must flee their home and seek shelter because of violence.

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.

This edited collection provides a detailed picture of children’s lives when living at domestic violence shelters (also termed refuges) which provide a safe space for victims. It draws on original empirical research from countries including the UK, USA, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Israel and Australia to examine how domestic violence shelters are managed and understood in various social systems. The key themes of the book are school and everyday life, agency and transitions, and support. Using a range of methods including ethnography, interviews, mental health surveys, this book draws on the voices of children, mothers, and workers and explores a range of issues affecting particularly marginalised groups (e.g. infants and teenagers). It includes recommendations for practice and speaks to those in law, social work, nursing and criminology.

Knowledge about children’s experiences of staying at domestic violence (DV) shelters, and their quality of life while living there, is limited. This study aims to examine how children describe staying at DV shelters in Sweden, and to identify important aspects of such experiences, both positive and negative. Thematic analysis was used to analyze 12 interviews with children aged 7–17 years. The findings show that the shelter environment, activities, and social relations are important for their quality of life, and that when these are lacking there is a risk that children will feel bored and isolated. Thus, although staying in a DV shelter for a period of time may be necessary to ensure children’s safety, it often comes at a cost; therefore, shelters need to be adapted to meet children’s needs.

This chapter highlights the challenges that mothers and children face in the different phases of leaving their home to escape violence, staying at a shelter, and then leaving it to start a new life. Based on interviews with mothers and children, it discusses the different perspectives and preconditions that mothers and children have for coping with a stay at a DV shelter in Sweden.

Modellen Efter barnförhöret är utvecklad för barn som går hem till föräldrar som är misstänkta för barnmisshandel direkt efter ett barnförhör hos polisen. Modellen har fått stor spridning genom utbildningar i Stiftelsen Allmänna Barnhusets regi. När modellen har implementerats har det lett till lokala anpassningar och förändringar av modellen. Utifrån aktuell forskning diskuteras vad dessa lokala anpassningar innebär för barn och föräldrar och vad gränsen går för att förändringarna blir så stora att man inte längre kan säga att man arbetar enligt Efter barnförhöret. Diskussionen utgår från exemplet med modellen Efter barnförhöret, men berör implementering av nya metoder och modeller i socialt arbete i allmänhet.

Children interviewed by the police in cases of suspected child abuse may experience emotional distress. Simultaneously, parents face the dual challenge of being suspects in the investigation while also striving to support their child’s well-being. To offer children and their parents information and support in such cases, social workers in Sweden developed the model After the Child Forensic Interview (ACFI, sw. Efter barnförhöret). This study aims to explore the model from the perspective of family social workers to understand its relevance for supporting children and parents. Twenty family social workers from eleven Swedish municipalities were interviewed about their experiences of working with ACFI. The analysis revealed that working with ACFI (a) requires preconditions such as resources and cooperation, individual/professional knowledge and experience, and the parents’ receptivity, (b) demands adaptations such as changes and additions, and (c) entails side effects. Overall, family social workers describe the model as beneficial as it can improve client-worker relationships and facilitate further interventions. However, it is required that the municipalities have a plan for implementation and allocation of resources.

Barn som förhörs av polisen vid misstanke om barnmisshandel kan uppleva känslomässig påfrestning. Samtidigt möter föräldrar den dubbla utmaningen att både vara misstänkta i utredningen och att försöka stödja sitt barns välbefinnande. För att ge barn och deras föräldrar information och stöd i sådana situationer utvecklade socialarbetare i Sverige modellen Efter barnförhöret (EBF). Denna studie syftar till att utforska modellen utifrån familjebehandlares perspektiv för att förstå dess relevans i arbetet med att stödja barn och föräldrar. Tjugo familjebehandlare från elva svenska kommuner intervjuades om sina erfarenheter av att arbeta med EBF. Analysen visade att arbetet med EBF: (a) kräver förutsättningar, såsom resurser och samverkan, individuell/professionell kunskap och erfarenhet samt föräldrarnas mottaglighet, (b) kräver anpassningar, såsom förändringar och tillägg, och (c) medför bieffekter. Familjebehandlarna beskriver EBF som gynnsam, då de uppfattar att den kan förbättra klientrelationer samt underlätta vidare insatser. För gynnsamhet krävs dock att kommunerna har en plan för implementering och resursfördelning.

The aim of this study was to investigate violent fathers’ impact on children’s and mothers’ lives after fleeing violence in their homes. The study is based on interviews with children aged 7–17 (n=13) and mothers (n=14) of young children (age 0–6 years) in Sweden. Eight children and five mothers in the sample were still living in domestic violence shelters at the time of the interview. The thematic analysis resulted in two major themes, Fear and Loss, revealing the fear of violence, abduction, and the consequences of visitation, and the loss of home, social relations, and identity. The results are discussed with the help of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The conclusion shows that the impact of fathers’ violence has far-reaching consequences, both directly and indirectly, and that children’s and mothers’ lives continue to be affected long after they leave their home to seek protection.

The first chapter in the book Children in Domestic Violence Shelters: International Perspectives introduces the consequences of domestic violence for mothers and their children, and the importance of support and safety. The introduction also presents the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and Agenda 2030 as a framework for the book, both stressing that children need to be protected from violence. The introduction ends with a disposition of the book, and the 12 chapters included.