Ämnet i denna studie är egna och informella strategiers betydelse i organisatoriska sammanhang. Empirin baseras på hur socionomer förhåller sig till informella strategier i syfte att bli starkare individer och mer resistenta mot stress. För yrkesutövare inom socialt arbete är stress och ohälsa ett vanligt förekommande fenomen som ofta orsakats av hög arbetsbelastning. Ohälsa på arbetet kan få negativa konsekvenser för det sociala arbetet som utförs. Brist på återhämtningsmöjligheter på arbetsplatsen är vanligt då många verksamheter ställer krav på effektivitet hos socionomer. För att finna utrymme för att hantera stress använder sig därför många av egna tillvägagångssätt för att generera inre välbehag och stabilitet. Åtta intervjuer med socionomer som arbetar på olika sociala verksamheter inom den offentliga sektorn har deltagit i studien. Det teoretiska ramverk som använts för att förtydliga och belysa empirins innehåll är gräsrotsbyråkrati och empowerment. I resultatet beskriver socionomerna varför och hur de använder sig av informella strategier till vardags för att stärka sig själva. Vidare förstås empirin utifrån ramverk som handlar om individens egna resurser och den kontext de befinner sig i. I studien framkommer det att socionomer väljer strategier utifrån att det finns ett behov av tid för återhämtning och att de förespråkar att själva välja strategier utifrån sig själva. De menar att det viktigaste är att välja strategier som är individanpassade, som genererar glädje och som bidrar till känslomässig balans. Kreativiteten sätter gränserna för hur strategierna kan användas och verktygen tycks finnas inom var och en.

BACKGROUND: The influence of maternal temperament on child behavior, and whether maternal temperament impact boys and girls differently is not thoroughly studied. The aim was to investigate the impact of maternal temperament and character on child externalizing and internalizing problems at age 3.

METHODS: A birth-cohort of 1723 mothers and their children were followed from birth to age 3. At the child's age of 3 months, the mothers filled out standardized instruments on their temperament and character using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and depressive symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). At the child's age of 3 years, the mothers reported on child behavior using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL).

RESULTS: Maternal temperamental trait novelty seeking was positively associated with externalizing problems in the total population and in girls. Harm avoidance was positively associated with externalizing problems in the total population and in boys, and with internalizing problems in the total population and boys and girls respectively. Maternal character traits of self-directedness and cooperativeness were negatively associated with both externalizing and internalizing problems in the total population and in boys and girls respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Maternal character traits were more influential on child behavior than were temperamental traits, and thus the opportunities for intervention targeted at parental support are good. Maternal mental health and socioeconomic aspects also increased the risk for child behavior problems, indicating the need for recognition and support in clinical settings.

In 2018 around 8 900 children and youth were placed in compulsory care under the Care of Young Persons Act (LVU). One of the prerequisites of the compulsory law is the expression other socially destructive behavior, a prerequisite open for interpretation. This study aims to examine the expression other socially destructive behavior to see what behavior, actions and characteristics is ascribed the youth when the social welfare committee apply for compulsory care under 3 § of the Swedish Care of Young Persons Act (LVU) at the Administrative court. Our selection contained 40 judgments from the Administrative court in Stockholm, regarding youth under the age of 18 and was selected due to its relevance, the socially destructive behavior being described as the issue at hand. Our study was based on a qualitative critical discourse analysis with the help of Fairclough's three dimensional model.

Our results showed four different categories labelled as socially destructive behavior. We named these categories the rebellious behavior, the dangerous behavior, descriptions of vulnerability and the everyday norm breaking behavior. The social welfare committee describes actions performed by the young persons, mixed with behavioral issues and descriptions of the individuals personality. However, the socially destructive behavior cannot be regarded as a single behavior or action, it is a combination of the above where an assesment is made in each individual case. The discourse regarding youths norm breaking behavior is generally controlled by adults, it is intensively discussed in media, politics and the society. The voice that seems to be missing is the one of the youth themselves. 

The aim of this study was to describe the social care provided for different age groups of people with intellectual disability, 55 years or above, and to investigate the association between such care and frailty factors for those with diagnosed level of intellectual disabilities. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were used. Commonest forms of social care among the 7936 people were Residential care, Daily activities and Contact person. Home help and Security alarm increased with age. The frailty factors significantly associated with increased social care were age, polypharmacy and severe levels of intellectual disabilities. Persons most likely to be in residential care were in the age group 65-79 with polypharmacy and severe disability. The results indicate a need for further research of how frailty factors are considered in social care and longstanding medication, especially then severe intellectual disability hinders communication. A national strategic plan for preventive interventions should be developed to ensure the best possible healthy ageing.

After the 2016 election of president Duterte, the Philippines have been actively fighting a war on drugs inside their own country according to the new policies developed by the newly chosen regime. These policies have led to the several thousands of dead in police operations which are by many called out as extrajudicial executions. The purpose of this study is to research the experience of urban people living in a society pervaded by a war on drugs with the goal of contributing to the understanding of how they handle the situation and how it affects their lives. The authors have spent two months in the Philippines, mainly in the Metro Manila area to gather the data for the study through mainly participant observation and semi-structured interviews for an ethnographic study. The results show who are being targeted in the war, how people experience it and create labeling and stigma according to the societal rules and norms as well as how people cope with difficult circumstances out of their control.

This study intends to investigate how young women, who have been subjected to honor-related violence and oppression, experience the support of the social services based on the power perspective and the KASAM theory. We have in the study used qualitative methods to conduct semi-structured interviews. Eight young women who had been in contact with the social services were interviewed.

Previous research has primarily studied the client's experience of contact with the social services. Studies that concern women who have been subjected to honor-related violence and oppression are very limited. Research in this area should therefore be sought.

The study's results showed that young women's expectations did not match the experience of contact with the social services. The results analysis showed that the social services support and assistance efforts are far too short-term where women are left behind and are expected to handle their difficulties on their own.

En del av det svenska biståndets insatser planerade för Mellanöstern kan bli omöjliga att ­genomföra. Sidas analytiker har inte tagit tillräcklig hänsyn till en ökande religiös ­våldsbejakande extremism och dess genomslag i hela området.

Sweden’s social services are today characterized by having high staff turnover which has resulted in various work-related problems, such as high workload, stress and insufficient resources. This study aims to investigate and quantify the work environment-related factors that, to the greatest extent, lead to the social secretaries staying at their workplaces within Stockholm's social services. The study's data collection method consisted of a survey that received a total of 35 respondents. The conclusions showed a certain hierarchy between the work environment-related factors, where the personal characteristics of the social secretaries turned out to be the strongest / most important factor in keeping them at their workplace. Support and supervision were the second strongest factor that had certain significance for the social secretaries in the field of child-welfare. Recovery and self-awareness were the third strongest factor. Stimulation and development was the fourth strongest factor that had certain significance for social secretaries that had longer periods of employment. The weakest factor for the social secretaries in this study was call and driving forces.

Welfare Care that in Sweden is given according to laws regulating health care and social services is obligated to secure systematic quality improvement. Risk management through deviation reports is a part of this quality improvement which can affect the welfare care rather immediate. Deviation reports can also be used in statistical overviews where both risks and needs within the given care can be accentuated. As a consequence, information about risk, needs and statistical overviews can also be used for decision-making in both care organisations and in policy decisions that sets the framework for the welfare care given. Hence, deviation reports can be used as one of several quality indicators that today is fundamental in the evaluation of the quality of publicly financed welfare care. Criticism of New Public Management as a control model in welfare address the heavy demands of evaluation, auditing and monitoring which implicates risks of skewness and misguiding results. Criticism also points out that the administrative work that follows with NPM takes time and resources from the welfare cares main focus which in this paper is care for the elderly. This paper aims to examine how staff within elderly care homes experience their work with deviation reports regarding the concept of organizational culture. It is of relevance to examine this since these staff are the ones producing the evidence on which decisions are based. Also, statistics shows that staff within elder care is highly over represented in regard to risk in the work environment. Deviation reporting is also filled with challenges like avoiding the sensation of pointing out a scapegoat or someone to blame. There are also incentives for organisations to keep a facade that their operations are fully functional. This study has been completed as a case study through a qualitative approach where seven semi-structured interviews with assistant nurses and nurses aides from a single work group has been made during spring 2018. The result is in line with earlier research that points out different aspects that are of relevance for successful work with deviation reports. The results also point out aspects that can be regarded as flaws within the work of deviation reports. To interpret and analyse the result of this study two main perspectives has been used; social psychologist Edgar Scheins work on organizational culture and professor of business administration Mats Alvessonswork on mechanisms within organizations.

Temat diskurs kan vara svårt att få grepp om. Uppsatsen ämnar närma sig temat ur ett teoretiskt intresse, samt försöka finna hur det kan vara relevant för det sociala arbetet. För att lättare ta sig ann detta görs utgångspunkten i en diskursanalys av löneskillnader mellan kvinnor och män, med utgångspunkt i sociala medier. Studiens syfte är att belysa och analysera olika typer av diskurser på sociala medier med utgångspunkt ur ämnet; kvinnors underpriviligierade lönesättning i jämförelse med män, samt att finna på vilket sätt detta kan påverka det sociala arbetet.

Jämställdhetsämnen som detta, bör ur analytisk synpunkt närmas med försiktighet. Detta då normer, formella regler, lagar samt bildandet av kulturer gör att personen bakom analysen själv är en del av det som analyseras. Man är således själv färgad av samhällets kultur och struktur. Sociala medier möjliggör ett sätt att kommunicera allt ifrån händelser ur det privata livet samt en vy av den egna världsbilden. Det ska tydliggöras att uppsatsen är menad att stå neutral i de olika typer av jämställdhetsfrågor som kan dyka upp. Ställningstaganden undviks i så stor mån som möjligt då uppsatsen ska ses ur teoretisk synpunkt, med intresse för teoriernas applikation. Frambringande av information görs genom empiri utan syfte för ställningstagande.

Uppsatsen vill finna den kritiska punkten hos uttalanden i sociala medier och vilken grund de står på. M. Winther Jørgensen. & L. Phillips. skriver att diskurs kan sägas vara ”ett bestämt sätt att tala om och förstå världen, eller ett utsnitt av världen” (2000 s.7). Uppsatsen söker alltså att finna mening och betydelse ur vilket människor grundar sina argument, samt vad som kan ligga bakom världsbilderna som skapas ur diskursen inom uppsatsens tema. På detta sätt kan dessa världsbilder tydliggöras och slutligen agera som exempel för hur socialt arbete kan färgas av diskursutformning. Uppsatsen vilar mot Michel Foucaults teorier om diskurs i förhållande till makt som ramverk för att analysera och beskriva materialet som yttrar sig genom Instagram och Twitter. I den här uppsatsen ses Foucaults definition av makt som formande och resultat av diskurs, snarare än maktens kanske vedertagna definition som suveränitetens härskande över individen eller en parts förtryck av en annan. M. Winther Jørgensen. & L. Phillips (2000 s.28) skriver vidare att forskarens roll inom diskursanalysen bör vara att intressera sig av ”hur vissa utsagor helt naturligt blir accepterade som sanna och andra inte”. Det är med denna grund som uppsatsen bör ses som betraktande och frågande, i vissa fall mer eller mindre kritisk, men med förhoppningen att den inte ska beläggas med en underton av någon slags ideologisk agenda. Etikprofessorn Elena Namli, sa i programmet Idévärlden, på Sveriges Television: ”’Kritisk’ – betyder inte ’ta avstånd’” (Idévärlden 4/2 2018). Det är med denna ståndpunkt som uppsatsen tar sig an följande analys.

The internet has gained an increasing role when it comes to issues regarding child sexual abuse, where the extensive technology development has led to new opportunities for people to contact young people for sexual purposes. The aim of this study was to investigate school counselors' experiences of meeting and working with young people who are exposed or at risk of being subjected to sexual abuse online. The empirical study is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with seven school counselors’ working at high school. The empiric material was analyzed using a theoretical framework consisting of professional competence and previous research. The result shows that school counsellors’ work on preventive measures such as information work for both students and parents. However, it appears that the efforts seem futile as more students are being exposed and the school counsellors’ have not been able to see any changes. In order to capture students who have been subjected to sexual abuse online, the relationship is an important tool. When it comes to supporting students who have been exposed, the work is carried out on suspicion or when the school counsellors’ have become aware that a student has been exposed. A distinct challenge is the lack of knowledge about the phenomenon that leads to difficulties in preventive, spotting and intervening work.

Interpersonal violence is a global societal problem that costs lives and health worldwide. Individuals with intellectual disabilities are more exposed to violence and abuse in comparison with the general population. Despite the 2008 ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Sweden lacks the knowledge, statistics and tools to deal with this type of violence. The present literature review aims to, with help of current Swedish and international research, investigate and identify factors that seem to cause and perpetuate violence against people with intellectual disabilities. The method for collecting empirical data was based on a qualitative approach where studies were read in and analysed according to a thematic analysis method. The results showed a consistent dehumanization of people with intellectual disabilities which pass through all stages of society. In combination with the vulnerability factors that result from the disability, the violence is caused and maintained. The conclusion landed in the importance of social workers and other human treatment professionals having access to tools where violence can be detected in people who themselves cannot make their vulnerability visible.

Denna rapports syfte har varit att genomföra en litteraturöversikt av internationell forskning och policy-relaterade dokument som behandlar frågor relaterade till att värdera frivilligt arbete i ekonomiska termer. Utifrån ett antal forskningsfrågor sammanställdes och analyserades de empiriska resultaten i relation till exempel till de definitioner, metoder och resultat som presenterades i materialet. För- och nackdelar med olika metoder samt med att värdera icke-monetära värden har också diskuteras. De empiriska resultaten analyserades sedan i ett andra steg med hjälp av ett ramverk om hur värden skapas, befästs och kommuniceras i allmänhet och mer specifikt utifrån frågan om vilken idealtypisk relation som bäst kan beskriva eventuella samband mellan olika metoder för att värdera det frivilliga arbetet och det frivilliga arbetet i sig.

En sammanfattning av de empiriska resultaten visar för det första att det finns ett antal förespråkare och argument till varför frivilligt arbete bör värderas i ekonomiska termer. Ett par av argumenten är exempelvis att synliggöra och uppmärksamma det frivilliga arbetet samt att identifiera dess bidrag till samhällsekonomin. Följaktligen har forskare och policyprofessionella ägnat tid och resurser åt att utveckla olika metoder och tillvägagångssätt för att genomföra denna typ av värderingar. Tre övergripande metoder lyfts fram som konkurrerande alternativ, inklusive frivilligarbetaren som ersättare, som tidsdonator och som samhällsnyttig. En integrerad del av presentationen av de olika metoderna verkar vara att identifiera specifika eller allmänna utmaningar med en viss eller alla försök till att värdera det frivilliga arbetet. Några exempel på dessa utmaningar är risken med att överskatta värdet på det frivilliga arbetet eller problematiken med att beräkna och fastställa ett generellt och applicerbart marknadsvärde på det arbetet som utförs av frivilliga.

I den analytiska delen av rapporten framkommer det att de flesta artiklarna och rapporterna härbärgerar fler än en definition av det frivilliga arbetet och fler än en metod för att värdera det frivilliga arbetet. Vidare visar analysen att det finns stora likheter samt till och med överlapp mellan de olika metoderna i form av likartade utgångspunkter och tillvägagångssätt för att värdera det frivilliga arbetet. Utifrån dessa analytiska resultat argumenterar denna rapport för att relationen mellan de tre metoderna som förordas och det frivilliga arbetet i hög grad präglas av en omvänd relation. Det vill säga att de tre övergripande metoderna i första hand verkar ha utvecklats i relation till tidigare versioner av metoderna och konkurrerande metoder snarare än till det frivilliga arbetet i sig och dess egenskaper.

Tolkningen att de metoder som figurerar för att ekonomiskt värdera frivilligt arbete i första hand präglas av en omvändrelation kan förklaras på två kompletterande vis. Den första förklaringen är att de som arbetar med att utveckla metoder kopierar och översätter värderingsmekanismer från andra fält. Den andra är att aktörer inom området strävar efter att framstå som innovativa och originella. Båda förklaringarna lyfter fram hur fler studier behövs för att studera och analysera detta fält som exempelvis en teater eller ett skådespel, med tillhörande praktiker, mekanismer och teknologier, som alla är mer eller mindre oberoende av eller till och med särkopplat från det frivilliga arbetet i sig.

Ett antal mer praktiknära förslag till framtida forskning och utredningsarbete kan också identifieras. Ett förslag skulle vara att genomföra ytterligare översikter av metoder och resultat för att värdera objekt som saknar antingen värderings-, kalkyler- eller jämförbara egenskaper eller en marknad där objektets värde kan bestämmas i ett utbyte mellan olika aktörer. Med största sannolikhet finns det områden och fält där denna typ av metoder har utvecklats och prövats i en högre utsträckning än de som återfinns inom området för frivilligt 4 arbete. Ett annat förslag är att applicera de tre metoderna, inklusive de olika tillvägagångssätten som förordas, på data och forskning från Sverige. Vilken andel av det svenska BNP skulle det frivilliga arbetet kunna utgöra? Vilken avkastning ger investeringar i det frivilliga arbetet i Sverige? Vad är en rimlig timpeng för det frivilliga arbetet i Sverige? Slutligen, med tanke på både de processuella och principiella invändningar som återfinns i det empiriska materialet, vore det värdefullt och relevant att genomföra en receptionsstudie av hur frivilliga och andra aktörer inom fältet skulle reagera på och påverkas av olika försök till att ekonomiskt värdera frivilligt arbete.

Avslutningsvis, utifrån denna rapports inledande citat om de tre domarna, och baserat på rapportens empiriska och analytiska resultat, kan en fjärde domare introduceras. Till skillnad från den första domarens objektivistiska, den andra domarens subjektivistiska eller den tredje domarens relativistiska position, skulle den fjärde domaren antagligen förorda en mer omvänd position i relation till exempelvis det frivilliga arbetet. En position som skulle härbärgera de praktiker, mekanismer och processer som konstituerar frivilligt arbete och som i sin tur skapar, befäster och kommunicerar värden, inklusive huruvida frivilligt arbete är meningsfullt för de som utför det eller bör ses som en gemensam och kollektiv nytta i samhällets tjänst. Denna position ger också utrymme till undersökningar om i vilken grad det frivilliga arbetet främst konstitueras av samtal och konflikter forskare och policyprofessionella emellan.

The purpose of this study has been to analyze - by the use of critical discourse analysis - how constructions of ensamkommande (unaccompanied minors) were expressed on Twitter in 2015. The purpose of this analysis has been to investigate what consequences these constructions might have for how people interpret and understand unaccompanied minors and what kind of impact that could have on the social work carried out for the target group. The material was comprised by every tweet written in Swedish and containing the word ensamkommande on Twitter during 2015. The study has been made from a social constructionist  perspective and the method for analysis has been Fairclough’s three dimensional model. The result showed that eight discourses could be identified. The majority of these could be said to have a negative attitude towards unaccompanied minors and portrayed them in a very negative way. The few discourses that could be said to have a positive attitude towards the target group also contributed to the very negative construction of them. The result also showed that the main producers of the material, and thereby the negative construction of unaccompanied minors, were private individuals, politicians, journalists and media. The conclusion is that the construction of unaccompanied minors could have a negative impact on social work since it can affect how people in general perceive the target group. This could lead to both structural and individual impact regarding the social work with unaccompanied minors. How people interpret and understand the concept of unaccompanied minors could affect how people vote in general elections which could lead to changes in legislation and policies to better answer towards the very negative construction of unaccompanied minors. Such changes of legislation and policies could have a negative impact on the social workers ability to maneuver in their work with the target group. There is also a risk that social workers incorporate the construction of unaccompanied minors so that the work with the target group may be based on prejudiced and general assumptions about them.

Den här uppsatsen handlar om socialsekreterares perspektiv på sitt handlingsutrymme och hur socialsekreterare i sitt arbete samverkar med hälso- och sjukvården när en klient deltar i läkemedelsassisterad behandling. Syftet med studien är att öka kunskapen om handlingsutrymmet för socialsekreterare inom socialtjänsten i samverkan med hälso- och sjukvården kring klienter med läkemedelsassisterad behandling för opioidberoende. Vår studie har en induktiv ansats och är genomförd med hjälp av en kvalitativ metod med semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Materialet som analyserats består av sex intervjuer med åtta respondenter från socialtjänstens vuxenenhet missbruk. Vi använder oss av tidigare forskning som relaterar till samverkan i välfärdsorganisationen, en vetenskaplig artikel kring sidomissbruk och en vetenskaplig artikel ur en akademisk tidskrift som undersöker skillnader mellan privata och offentliga missbruksbehandlingar i USA. Resultatet har analyserats med hjälp av Lipskys teori om Street-level bureaucrats om handlingsutrymme och Bertalanffys systemteori för att få att förstå samverkan i ett helhetsperspektiv. Studiens resultat visar att socialtjänstens handlingsutrymme och samverkan finns inom den byråkratiska organisationens lagar och riktlinjer. Faktorer som ökar handlingsutrymmet och samverkan för socialsekreteraren är erfarenhet i yrket och allians med klientens motivation. Utmanande faktorer i handlingsutrymmet och samverkan med hälso- och sjukvården är när den byråkratiska organisationens mål med insatsen inte stämmer överens med klientens mål med insatsen. De mest framträdande faktorerna i vårt resultat som försvårar samverkan och begränsar handlingsutrymmet är sidomissbruk och samsjuklighet hos klienten. 

This study investigates the perspective of ‘Trabajo social intercultural y decolonial’ or ‘Intercultural and decolonial social work’ demonstrated by social workers and scholars of the University of Antioquia in Medellin, Colombia. A qualitative ethnographic and a methodologically plural approach are presented. The results shows that the intercultural and decolonial perspective could be of relevant pragmatic value for orienting future studies and opportunities for implementation in social policy programs. Empirical insights gained through this perspective can be used for improving the understanding of this specific domain and the practices of social work in Colombia and on an international arena.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur personal på skyddat boende beskriver effekter som blir av att kortsiktigt skyddsplacera kvinnor utsatta för våld i nära relationer. Studien baseras på personalens perspektiv på skyddsplaceringar genom semistrukturerade intervjuer som genomförts med anställda i verksamheter som bedriver skyddat boende för kvinnor i Sverige. Materialet bearbetades i en tematisk analys och analyserades utifrån tidigare forskning och de teoretiska perspektiven systemteori, ekologisk systemteori och kristeori. I avslutande kapitel förs en fördjupad diskussion kring de säkerhetsbedömningar som genomförs vid en skyddsplacering, att barnperspektivet behöver förstärkas och att kvinnors utsatthet inte är till salu. 

Resultatet visade på att personalen upplever att kortsiktiga skyddsplaceringar förekommer och att antalet skyddsplaceringar generellt har minskat under de senaste åren. Det påverkar verksamheterna genom att personalen känner tidspress att hinna med arbetsprocessen att hjälpa de skyddsplacerade kvinnorna, samt att verksamheterna har fått ta till olika åtstramningsåtgärder för att klara sig ekonomiskt. Personalen tolkar att kvinnor vid kortsiktiga skyddsplaceringar uttrycker oro och rädsla för sin framtid. De visar särskild oro för sina barns säkerhet och är rädda att de (eller barnen) ska behöva träffa förövaren igen om de inte har någonstans att ta vägen. Personalen upplever att det är privata aktörer med låga dygnspriser som konkurrerar ut dem från marknaden och att det har medfört att även dem har behövt sänka sina dygnspriser. Resultatet visar vidare på att de riskbedömningar som socialtjänsten gör kring hotbilden mot kvinnan kan bedömas för lågt i förhållande till verkligheten och inte visar på förövarens fulla kapacitet. Kvinnor riskerar då att bli utan skyddsinsatser eller blir placerade hos aktörer som saknar kunskap om våldets karaktär, lämpliga skydd- och säkerhetsåtgärder och utan personal som kan tillgodose stöd- och behandlingsinsatser. 

The purpose of this study is to provide knowledge about how deacons in the Church of Sweden experience that their professional identity is affected by the tension between being a professional social worker and being called to be a deacon by God and the church. The study is based on eight qualitative, semi-structured interviews with deacons from eight different parishes in the diocese of Stockholm. The material was processed through thematic analysis and hermeneutic interpretation of meaning. It was later analyzed based on concepts from two role theories. The study shows that deacons can relate to the sacred and profane in their professional identities in three different ways. For some deacons, the sacred and profane in their professional identity is well integrated, these deacons do not experience any contradictions between the secular in being a social worker and the religious in being called by God. For other deacons, either the sacred or the profane take over, for example if they feel that they do not have enough knowledge in theology and therefore mainly work with social work and the profane. The third approach is that there is continuous negotiation between the sacred and the profane. An example of this is that deacons sometimes find support and guidance through their calling, and sometimes through their education in social work. The deacons have in common that the relationship between the sacred and the profane in their professional identity is influenced by contextual factors, such as the organization and the secular society.

To use standardized questionnaires for questions about domestic violence within the social services' elderly units Intimate partner violence (IPV)and the way women are  exposed to violence in close relationships has been recognized in recent decades as a problem at a societal level, both nationally and globally. As a result, work on IPV has  received new laws and regulations to strengthen women's right to protection in society, which has also led to work with these issues is being developed and prioritized at a  municipal level. While IPV has gained more visibility, IPV that affect older women also has received greater attention. IPV and aging can mean a special vulnerability as aging  can mean more isolation, greater need for care by or for a violent partner and that the violence may have lasted for a longer period of time. Research on the subject also shows that there is a knowledge gap about the elderly's exposure to violence and the work to discover it, and that there are no specific figures that show how widespread the problem is. Despite the increased focus on older women's exposure to IPV, interest in skills development regarding elderly is lower in comparison with other categories within the group  of women exposed to violence in Sweden's municipalities. At the same time, the development of welfare has moved in a direction towards an evidence-based practice and  developed standardized assessment instruments. Based on an attempt to combine work against violence in close relationships with evidence-based practice, the assessment  instrument FREDA was developed, which social workers and social service agents can use to detect and identify violence and make protection assessments, which is considered  an important part of violence prevention and violence protection work. Nevertheless, several studies and evaluations show that there are several obstacles to asking questions  about violence, such as insecurity and lack of knowledge. The purpose of our study has been to investigate how social workers at social agencies that works with elders ask  questions about violence in IPV and whether underlying factors such as knowledge, experience and supervision affect the tendency for social service agents to ask the question  about violence. The purpose is also to investigate the extent to which social service workers use standardized assessment instruments in matters of violence and whether  standardized assessment instruments is experienced as a support in their work.

With a quantitative method and with a survey design to collect data, we have created a web survey with 49 statements and questions that we have sent via link to social service agents who work with development assistance and the elderly. The survey received a total of 79 respondents and the results have been processed in SPSS and to some extent in Excel. To present the results we have used SPSS to create graphs and crosstabs and through using Cramres V we report the strength of the relationships between the  variables. We have also developed a significance measure based on Cramers V. The results of the study shows that a significant proportion of the respondents do not agree that they ask questions about domestic violence to their clients and that there is a connection between not asking questions about domestic violence and not feeling that you have  enough knowledge of the subject. The results of the study cannot show where the knowledge about violence comes from, but it shows that within our sample there is a slight  tendency for the use of FREDA-short questions to have a positive impact on the experience of knowledge about IPV. The results of the study show that approximately one third  of the study respondents use FREDA-short questions at their workplace. The study also shows that of the respondents who stated that they fully or partially agree that they ask questions about violence in close proximity to a greater extent use FREDA-shortquestions. In conclusion, our study shows that there was a tendency for respondents who  stated that they did not agree that they ask questions about domestic violence also had the opinion that older people find it more intrusive to talk about IPV.

This study explores the ways marginalised groups can be supported in their empowerment process, and specifically how art projects organised by non-governmental organisations can contribute in the process. The focus is on prisoners and indigenous children and adults in Mexico City and San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Mexico who are involved in the organisations’ projects. Results from qualitative interviews with organisations’ staff are presented and discussed covering organisations characteristics and relationship with the clients as factors in supporting the clients in their empowerment. Involvement in art projects influenced participants’ self-awareness, self-confidence, sense of achievement, gender roles and the way they cooperate with each other. The findings also show art projects as a possibility for marginalised groups to tell about their own lives and by doing so change stereotypes about themselves. The discussion focuses on interpreting these effects of working with art projects as empowering factors. It is suggested that working with art and in the non-governmental sector can complement the welfare system and serve as an inspiration to finding other ways of achieving empowerment. A closer look at how the non-governmental organisations work and relate to their clients, shows a more equal relationship than the one within the welfare systems, which opens up for more options of supporting marginalised individuals through their empowerment processes. The results of this research are based on the perception of the organisation’s employees, not the users themselves.Therefore it would be interesting to continue research on this topic, interviewing the users in order to get the marginalized people’s perspective on the issue.

The purpose of this study is to investigate what support and interventions that currently exist for older people, 65+, who are exposed to domestic violence and who have care- and nursing needs. In order to be able to answer the study, we have contacted the social services' elderly care, the relationship violence team and the relationship violence center in the city of Stockholm and have conducted semistructured interviews with assistance officers and social workers. The results of the study show that there are available interventions for older people who are exposed to domestic violence but that the interventions are not adapted for the elderly who have special nursing needs. The results show shortcomings in the range of interventions designed according to the elderly's need for support in victims of violence and a lack of knowledge and insecurity among social workers and assistance officers regarding the problems of the elderly and domestic violence, as well as what interventions are currently available for elderly care needs that are exposed to domestic violence. Older people belong to a target group that can be particularly vulnerable in society and risk being exposed to ageism. The theories we have used in our study are ageism as well as empowerment and advocacy. The study has been done to draw attention to and highlight the elderly's vulnerability to domestic violence as older people with care and nursing needs risk being overshadowed when the focus for domestic violence is mainly on younger women. The same applies to research in this area. Violence can look different among younger and older people and also causes of acts of violence can have different grounds. The elderly may, for example, have other support, help and care needs. These needs should therefore be addressed and adapted with the efforts that older people may need when they are exposed to domestic violence. Due to this, we think it is important to find out how working methods and routines and initiatives for the elderly are designed in the current situation and how to work with this problem within the Social Services in the city of Stockholm.

The purpose of the study has been to increase the knowledge of investigative social workers view on the phenomenon of children who experience violence between related people and how their interpretations relate to the laws and guidelines that apply to children who experience violence. The study has been conducted through qualitative semi structured interviews with six professional children or youth investigators, all of whom work for social services at administrations in Stockholm city or in cranes to Stockholm. The interviews have given a material that has been analyzed against Michael Lipsky's theory of Street level bureaucracy, as well as previous research. The results of the study show that the social workers interviewed seriously look at the fact that children experience violence between their relatives. All respondents believe that children who experience violence between their relatives themselves are victims of mental abuse. However, it appears in the study that violence in itself is considered by some respondents to get too much space in their work, they argue that violence can be an expression of other misconceptions that are likely to be missed if too much focus is placed solely on investigating the violence. As regards how the respondents respond to laws and guidelines, the study results show that the knowledge about guidelines is low. Respondents express no lack of routines and they argue for pros and cons regarding the introduction of routines in their work. The social workers agree that the work is permeated by individual assessments and that generalizations at work not can be done. They say that in order to be able to perform the work satisfactorily, the individual approach is a prerequisite.

Background: Honour-related violence and oppression is a violation of human rights and a public health problem. Oppressioncan be manifested by not being allowed to choose future partners and can increase the risk of abuse and mental healthproblems.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate associations between restrictions regarding choice of future partner(RCP), child maltreatment and mental health problems among adolescents in Sweden.

Methods: The study was based oncross-sectional data, including a nationally representative sample of 4741 pupils from grade nine in primary school and secondyear in high school. Pearson’s chi-square tests and binary logistical regression analyses adjusting for socio-demographicfactors were conducted.

Results: RCP was significantly associated to child maltreatment, including poly-victimisation, andmental health problems. In the adjusted analysis, an increased risk for all types of maltreatment, poly-victimisation (adjustedodds ratio (aOR) 10.2, confidence interval (CI) 5.6–18.4), self-harm (aOR 1.9, CI 1.1–3.2) and suicide attempt (aOR 2.4,CI 1.3–4.7) were shown in adolescents exposed to RCP compared to non-exposed.

Conclusions: There is an increasedrisk of child maltreatment including poly-victimisation and mental health problems among adolescents exposedto RCP compared to non-exposed. The study emphasizes the matter as a public health problem requiringimmediate preventive measures to ensure the rights of children and adolescents.

This qualitative study aims to understand and identify the children's right workers - advocates - specific knowledge and experiences in order to be able to contribute a creative discussion about what this can bring to other professional groups working with children and young people. This is done by examining how children advocates work to strengthen children's rights as well as their reflections on and experiences of this work. The study is based on interviews with advocates in non-profit organizations representing children in contact with social welfare institutions. The interviews have been analyzed by applying concepts and theories such as advocacy, empowerment and Roger Hart's Ladder of Participation. The advocates tell about authorities having difficulties making children involved in decisions concerning them, and about children and young people who are denied their rights. A vital part of the work of the advocates is about making children involved in decisions that affect their own lives. This is achieved by listening and creating relationships based on trust, which according to the advocates is a prerequisite for advocacy. The work with relationships can be seen as a part of a process of empowerment that gives children increased self-confidence. It also helps the children realize that their experiences and opinions matter. The advocates strengthen children's participation in authority decisions by being a link between children and the authorities. An important part is to make the information from the authorities understandable. Through the advocacy, the children also increase their knowledge and understanding of their rights. One conclusion is that even seemingly small efforts, such as listening and believing in their stories, can make big differences for the children. Another conclusion is that there is a large gap between existing resources and the need for the advocates’ work. The fact that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child becomes law in Sweden, will probably be of importance for the future work of the advocates. Several of the advocates claim that more must be done to ensure that children's rights are met.

Primary school students with neuropsychiatric disabilities have more difficulty establishing a social circle and obtaining full grades, which increases the risk of unemployment and increased costs for society. Therefore, the school needs to offer psychosocial interventions through special teaching. However, social workers and educators may face problems in providing the special education necessary for students. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate how educators work with students who need special support due to mental illness and how the psychosocial efforts are applied in the school's educational activities for students in grades 3–6. The purpose was fulfilled through an observational study of three educators in special teaching and thematization based on the implementation theory and analysis in relation to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, KASAM, CBT and low-affective treatment. The results showed that the teachers' use of concrete activities in the form of reading aloud, painting and illustration as well as joint competitions broke down abstract pedagogical theories into functional sub-components that created engagement among the students. However, the educators experienced difficulties in reducing conflicts through low affective treatment. The educators also felt that the practical application of theories such as KASAM, CBT and low-affective treatment were too abstract for the students, which created a lack of interest in teaching. The result also showed that the collaboration between student health teams, school counselors, teachers and pedagogues worked well in the preparator ymeetings before the implementation of the special teaching, but that new needs for collaboration could arise during the course of the work. One conclusion was that theories such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs, KASAM, CBT and low-affective treatment need to be broken down into concrete and practically feasible components in order to avoid conflicts and motivate the students' learning.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hälso- och sjukvårdskuratorers erfarenheter av sitt arbete under covid-19-pandemin. För att göra detta genomfördes åtta kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med hälso- och sjukvårdskuratorer på fem olika vårdinstitutioner i Stockholmsregionen. Materialet bearbetades sedan genom en hermeneutisk-fenomenologisk tradition, tolkades och analyserades utifrån krav-kontroll-stödmodellen samt utifrån copingteori. Studiens slutsats är att hälso- och sjukvårdskuratorerna upplevt krav under pandemin och behövt anpassa sig till en föränderlig psykosocial arbetsmiljö. De har upplevt krav i form av oförutsägbar arbetsbelastning, nya riktlinjer, skyddsutrustning, rutiner och mental belastning. Studien visar att de upplevt inflytande i sitt arbete och att kollegialt stöd varit en betydelsefull källa till stöd samt att upplevelsen av gemenskap fick betydelse under pandemin. Hälso- och sjukvårdskuratorerna har använt sig av problem-, emotions- och meningsfokuserade copingstrategier för att hantera arbetsrelaterade utmaningar. 

I Sverige har sedan 2012 insatsen övervakat umgänge ersatts av umgängesstöd. I reformprocessen betonades att om umgänge ansikte mot ansikte mellan barn och en förälder som barnet inte bor med inte kan organiseras utan risk för barnet bör beslut fattas om indirekt umgänge (exempelvis via telefon) eller inget umgänge. Seminariet diskuterar socialarbetares praktik rörande umgängesstöd när stödet gäller ärenden med våld. Det bygger på en studie av en umgängesstödsverksamhet, där underlaget bestod av akter för 37 barn för vilka det fanns en dom om umgängesstöd, intervjuer med sju personal, tio föräldrar och tre barn, samt dokument och rutiner för verksamheten. För 18 av 37 barn innehöll akterna bekräftad information om en historia av våld. Studien visade att tingsrätten ibland beslutar om umgängesstöd i ärenden med våld och där det är osannolikt att umgänget kan ”normaliseras” inom överskådlig framtid. Insatsen umgängesstöd ges alltså ibland på ett sätt som inte var avsett med reformen. När det kommer till det sociala arbetets praktik visar analysen att även om de lokala rutinerna följer lagstiftarens intentioner med reformen och fokus på risk, kan professionella i praktiken både giltiggöra och ogiltiggöra våld. Det senare gäller i synnerhet gruppen umgängesstödjare som finns närvarande med barnet i rummet. Sammantaget visar studien hur både domstolens praktik och umgängesstödsverksamheten kan bidra till barns fortsatta utsatthet.

The purpose of this study has been to describe and understand social workers’ experiences of dealing with ethical dilemmas that arose in the work with unaccompanied children and young people during 2015/2016, and how social workers’ handled these dilemmas. The study has had a qualitative research method with semi-structured interviews. In total, seven social workers from the county of Västmanland, Sweden, who worked with unaccompanied children and young people during 2015/2016, participated in the study. The results of the study have been analysed and interpreted based on the theory of coping, normative ethics and also previous research in the field. The results of the study show that social workers faced a lot of difficulties, but were not purely ethical dilemmas, but had characters in the form of ethical difficulties and problems. These ethical difficulties have arisen in several arenas, in collaboration with the Swedish Migration Board, from a politically-driven organization with guidelines and economic constraints as well as in the meeting with children and young people. The result also shows that the social wokers have been affected both privately and professionally. Five out of seven social workers have been sick-listed during the period, and several have had difficulty coping with ethical difficulties. The social workers have dealt with these ethical difficulties using different coping strategies.

This study examines the work of various Swedish organizations regarding live-streamed sexual abuse of Filipino children and their view on responsibility for cases where Swedish perpetrators commit the crimes. There are four Swedish court cases where Swedish men have been convicted of this crime and documentaries and radio programs now highlight this problem. It appears that the crime is hidden, because it takes place on the internet, and for this reason there is a large number of hidden statistics that makes it difficult to protect and support the vulnerable children. The aim of this study is therefore to contribute with deeper knowledge in the area by examining whether Swedish non-governmental organizations and governmental authorities believe that their work is sufficient or needs to be developed. The empirical material is based on five interviews with a selection of Swedish authorities and non-governmental organizations. The study has a qualitative and inductive approach where the results are analyzed based on Ludwig von Bertalanffy's general systems theory and previous research. The result shows that the informants believe that Swedish actors have a great international responsibility for the Filipino children who are exposed to live-streamed abuse when the perpetrators are Swedish. Two informants believe that Sweden is not doing enough for these children at this moment. At the same time, some informants believe that their responsibility ends somewhere and that the Philippine government and non-governmental organizations have their responsibility. The result also shows that new ideas and resources are required for them to be able to fulfill these ambitions and that there are many challenges that stop the development of their work. The empiric also presents opportunities within the work and proposals for necessary measures for the future. Concluding in the discussion we highlight the lack of child focus among the work of Swedish governmental and nongovernmental organizations and what we believe is the reason for this. We also discuss the consequences of Swedish legal efforts for the children, such as damages, and whether these consequences benefit or harm the children. Finally, we come with suggestions for future research within the area.

The importance of civil society for unaccompanied young people - in what way, to what extent andhow important?The purpose of this study is to investigate the importance of civil society organizations and actorsfor unaccompanied young people who have a residence permit in Sweden through the New UpperSecondary School Act ( NGL) and are on their way to independence. When these young people turn18 and complete their upper secondary school studies they lose the security that our laws and rightsprovide a child in Sweden. Young people are losing the right to a trustee and the social services are nolonger responsible for the individual's housing and finances, reasons that are a great security for theseindividuals. These young people often lack a developed network that many Swedish young peoplehave.After school, there are requirements for a permanent job that must be followed in order to stay inSweden according to NGL, which comes with arranging housing and managing your finances. Thisfact is something that many of the actors in civil society have noticed and problematized.The study examines this by collecting material on how worried they are about the future, howimportant they state that civil society is for them, what degree of contact they have with organizationsand associations, and what efforts and what support they have received after they have filled 18 yearsfrom municipalities and from various actors in civil society.A quantitative questionnaire study was conducted, the results and analysis of which are based on 92questionnaire responses (59 completed questionnaires) of unaccompanied young people, of which 47have a residence permit through the new Upper Secondary School Act (NGL). The results of the studyshow that the importance of civil society organizations and actors is great, 83% of the respondentsstated that they were important to them. The study shows that as many as 63% of the respondents areworried about turning 18 and 90% are worried about the requirement for a permanent job afterschool.Our results and our analysis can show that the support of civil society is important for theseyoung people and can also be an important function for public activities to facilitate for these youngpeople now that many of them are graduating from upper secondary school in the spring of 2020.The corona epidemic that arose during the course of the study contributes to reinforcing theproblem with NGL's demands to be allowed to stay in Sweden with the fact that the unaccompaniednow have even more difficulty getting a job than they had before. This reinforces our issue andhighlights what civil society is problematizing as more acute than ever. 

People in Sweden are living longer than ever before, as research and improvements in medical care become progressively more advanced. Yet, absenteeism related to stress and clinical burnout has increased dramatically in the past decade. The purpose of this study is to investigate employers’ support functions regarding rehabilitation from clinical burnout, from the perspective of social workers. The research was conducted using qualitative, semi-structured interview sessions with 16 social workers that either have been or are suffering from clinical burnout. The main theory used was House’s theory on different types of social support, which classifies social support into four categories. The results show that the interviewees describe emotional support in ways that do not entirely correlate with House’s theory. The interviewees emphasised the importance of the support from family and friends, that they never stopped calling or texting. This especially entails the importance of someone recognizing the person’s needs without being asked to do so, being willing to listen, assisting in understanding and processing the anxiety, as well as offering a sense of emotional security and community. The majority of respondents stressed the crucial role of managers in their return to work, for example through continuous monitoring, follow-ups and adaptation of tasks. Relatedly, most respondents meant that they lacked a way of fully recovering. The absolute majority of those claiming to lack different kinds of support from managers. Roughly half of said respondents also experienced the lack of an insufficient sense of influence and autonomy in the process of returning to work. This study shows that emotional support from the employer has great positive effects on rehabilitation and the possibility for social workers to return to work following clinical burnout.

The aim of this study was to explore how hospital social workers within emergency hospital care units find the challenges with the therapeutic relation when working online or over the phone. To find out more, we have interviewed seven hospital social workers. They were asked about challenges and advantages in working on a distance, related to the therapeutic relation. We wanted to find out if it is possible to obtain the same level of therapeutic relation when counselling changed from being given face to face to a digital encounter during the Covid 19 pandemic. Empirical data was analyzed with Asplunds theory of social responsiveness. 

The study results in two different answers. First, it shows that hospital social workers experience increased flexibility as a relation strengthener and that it attracts patients that wouldn´t normally seek counselling. The second result shows that according to hospital social workers, there is something in the communication pattern that is missing when you are not in the same room as the patient and thus, there is also something in the therapeutic relation that is missing. Hospital social workers confirmed difficulties confirming patients when body language was missing or when technical problems sometimes reduced the understanding of patients' stories and there was a need for repeating in a painful situation. Peoples' different needs have become very clear throughout the study as our result show that it has been positive for the therapeutic relation to offer different counselling opportunities.

Today it is common for Swedish compulsory schools to write police reports about incidents caused by pupils below the age of criminal responsibility. 

The purpose of this study was to examine school counselors perspective on police reports in compulsory schools, in order to describe and understand the role they play in assessing. Another purpose was to examine whether the school counselors believe that a police report is consistent with the principle of the best interests of the child and if they believe that a police report affects the child.

The study is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with eight school counselors in both municipal and independent schools in Stockholm county. The material from the interviews has been analyzed using professional theory, labeling theory and selected literature. The result shows that school counselors see police reports of children as a complex phenomenon and that they have an ambivalent attitude towards the application. The school counselors’ experience is that police reports can affect the child both positively and negatively. Positive experiences are described as a child's unwanted behavior can come to an end. Negative experiences are described as the fact that the police-reported child can get a label as an outlier, which in the long run can lead to negative consequences for the child. Furthermore, the result shows that the principle of the best interests of the child, according to the school counselors, is that children reach the knowledge goals in school. School counselors does not seem to have reflected on whether school-related police notifications are consistent with the principle of the best interests of the child. The majority, however, have a negative attitude towards police reports towards children in compulsory schools and mean that there are other, better ways to work with children's unwanted actions. Despite the fact that the school counselors express that police reports may adversely affect the child, the study shows that they are rarely involved when a decision is made to report a child to the police. 

Through his profession, social workers have an assignment to represent children in vulnerable situations and should therefore carrier for the best interests of the child. The fact that school counselors do not participate in the assessment and thus do not represent the child is considered problematic. It appears that the school counselors look at their function and are loyal to the school organization rather than to attend to their assignment as social workers. Finally, the result shows that more knowledge is needed about the role of the school counselor, as well as the phenomenon of police reports toward children in compulsory schools and what their consequences are for the children.

This essay focuses on the following issues:• What are the effects of Stockholm's Action Plan on both decision-makers and social security officers in the field?• How is the outcome of the Action Plan and the work environment affected by methods, organisation and control systems?• Why are conflicts between stakeholders and the organization handled in the way they are done?

The overall purpose of the essay is to a critically study of New Public Management, the ongoing personnel crisis in services for children and young people.  Where yhe crisis is resulting in significant staff turnover and high health statistic. What is being done and can be done within the local Action Plan to address this, and whether or not the Stockholm City Action Plan to improve the working situation of the Social Security Officer and Assistant Handler, or is it the organization itself and how is it managed in that case?

The paper is supported by Michel Foucault's theories on power and by Christopher Hood's work on New Public Management. In addition, I interviewed four Social Security Officers working in children and young peoples' services, along with four decision-makers (including politicians, managers and union representatives) and have incorporated information gained from those interviews in this essay.

The main result in the essay is that: There are common expectations of the action plan's output and that in the long term it will lead to a better working environment, but the decision-makers had more confidence about what can actually be resolved.  However, there is a concern that changes should have been implemented earlier. The crucial challenges are clearly linked to the economy and today's management systems, such as New Public Management (NPM).  NPM has changed over time and within different welfare areas.  There are also clear links between NPM and deficiencies in the working environment in Social Services. The essay addresses a number of these shortcomings and the strategies that Social Security Officers use to address the situation. However, more and more require other reforms, but at present there is no legitimate alternative, although this is being studied at state level in Sweden and Denmark. Conflicts between stakeholders revolve around the power that the organisation has produces; the organisation disciplines its employees as well as the clients, who are the same as society's residents. This has resulted in a culture of silence, where staff are focused on doing and reporting the right things, rather than looking at long-term results. The Action Plan challenges and balances these structures.

Vågar man bli gammal? Medias granskning av äldreomsorgen är ofta alarmerande. Vi hade tur! är samtidigt en vanlig reaktion efter konkreta och personliga erfarenheter av en äldreomsorg som ofta är bättre än sitt rykte. Hur ska den goda praktiken kunna sprida sig så att blicken inte fastnar på det som fungerar dåligt?

I Kvalitet i äldreomsorgen – berättelser om omsorgskonst skildras äldreomsorgen när den är som allra bäst och hyllar alla dem som ofta med knappa resurser skapar en äldreomsorg där ”lust att leva och mod att dö” inte bara är tomma ord. Det är skickligt utövad omsorgskonst.

Omsorgskonstens praktik beskrivs i reportagets form. Dess generella särdrag och förutsättningar beskrivs i teoretiska avsnitt. Kvalitet i äldreomsorgen – berättelser om omsorgskonst vänder sig till alla som arbetar i, leder, eller intresserar sig för äldreomsorgen. Den lämpar sig väl för både personal- och chefsutbildningar.