Begreppet som säger allt och ibland inget alls - Hur socialsekreterare förstår och bedömer sexuellt riskfyllt beteende hos placerade flickor
(2021) SOPA63 20211School of Social Work
- Abstract
- In Sweden social services has the overall responsibility for its youth within their municipality. Moreover, social workers have a responsibility to conduct an inquiry if there are suspicions of a youth getting harmed or harming oneself. The inquiry carries an exercise of power and authority since it can lead to the youth getting placed outside of the home. Within the Swedish historical context of social childcare, young girls have often been placed outside of the home due to actions relating to sex. The aim of this study was therefore to examine how social workers understand whether girls under the age of 21, that are or going to be placed outside of the home, exhibit sexually risky behaviour. Based on this, the thesis also strives to... (More)
- In Sweden social services has the overall responsibility for its youth within their municipality. Moreover, social workers have a responsibility to conduct an inquiry if there are suspicions of a youth getting harmed or harming oneself. The inquiry carries an exercise of power and authority since it can lead to the youth getting placed outside of the home. Within the Swedish historical context of social childcare, young girls have often been placed outside of the home due to actions relating to sex. The aim of this study was therefore to examine how social workers understand whether girls under the age of 21, that are or going to be placed outside of the home, exhibit sexually risky behaviour. Based on this, the thesis also strives to analyse which notions of young girls’ sexuality are expressed in social workers’ interpretation and assessment of sexually risky behaviour in young girls. The method chosen for this study was qualitive interviews with professionals from two different municipalities in the region of Skåne. Four professional who have or are currently child welfare social workers and one social worker who has worked at a residential care home for children and young persons participated. In analysing my results, I applied Tina Mattsons theoretical framework of intersectionality to illustrate the complex understanding of gender, sex, class and power. Tina Mattsons framework was used as a basis for the remaining theoretical approach to showcase the important element of gender. The other theoretical approach used was Simon Williams and John Gagnon theoretical approach of sexual scripts to highlight how sexual acts can be understood. This study found that sexually risky behaviour is a fluid term and has no strong abutment in legal framework or other governing frameworks. Instead, the understanding of the term is up to the social worker to interpret. Secondly, sexually risky behaviour relating to girls is understood through the lens of other social issues, which shows that it is not the sexual acts itself that is the issue, but the meaning social workers find it fulfils for the girl in question. Thirdly, the study shows that there is an ambivalence regarding notions on girls’ sexuality. On one hand there is a recognition that girls are more likely to be sexually assaulted than boys, on the other hand there is an emphasis of seeing each individual case for what it is and not generalize regarding gender or sexual orientation. This study has therefore attempted to highlight the complex understandings of the term sexually risk behaviour, and how different understandings of the word can mean different outcomes for the girls in question. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9052787
- author
- Hassan Elmi, Deman LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOPA63 20211
- year
- 2021
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- sexually risky behaviour, social workers, notions of girls’ sexuality, girls placed outside the home.
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9052787
- date added to LUP
- 2021-06-11 10:05:28
- date last changed
- 2021-06-11 10:05:28
@misc{9052787,
abstract = {{In Sweden social services has the overall responsibility for its youth within their municipality. Moreover, social workers have a responsibility to conduct an inquiry if there are suspicions of a youth getting harmed or harming oneself. The inquiry carries an exercise of power and authority since it can lead to the youth getting placed outside of the home. Within the Swedish historical context of social childcare, young girls have often been placed outside of the home due to actions relating to sex. The aim of this study was therefore to examine how social workers understand whether girls under the age of 21, that are or going to be placed outside of the home, exhibit sexually risky behaviour. Based on this, the thesis also strives to analyse which notions of young girls’ sexuality are expressed in social workers’ interpretation and assessment of sexually risky behaviour in young girls. The method chosen for this study was qualitive interviews with professionals from two different municipalities in the region of Skåne. Four professional who have or are currently child welfare social workers and one social worker who has worked at a residential care home for children and young persons participated. In analysing my results, I applied Tina Mattsons theoretical framework of intersectionality to illustrate the complex understanding of gender, sex, class and power. Tina Mattsons framework was used as a basis for the remaining theoretical approach to showcase the important element of gender. The other theoretical approach used was Simon Williams and John Gagnon theoretical approach of sexual scripts to highlight how sexual acts can be understood. This study found that sexually risky behaviour is a fluid term and has no strong abutment in legal framework or other governing frameworks. Instead, the understanding of the term is up to the social worker to interpret. Secondly, sexually risky behaviour relating to girls is understood through the lens of other social issues, which shows that it is not the sexual acts itself that is the issue, but the meaning social workers find it fulfils for the girl in question. Thirdly, the study shows that there is an ambivalence regarding notions on girls’ sexuality. On one hand there is a recognition that girls are more likely to be sexually assaulted than boys, on the other hand there is an emphasis of seeing each individual case for what it is and not generalize regarding gender or sexual orientation. This study has therefore attempted to highlight the complex understandings of the term sexually risk behaviour, and how different understandings of the word can mean different outcomes for the girls in question.}},
author = {{Hassan Elmi, Deman}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Begreppet som säger allt och ibland inget alls - Hur socialsekreterare förstår och bedömer sexuellt riskfyllt beteende hos placerade flickor}},
year = {{2021}},
}