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Children's Advocacy Centers (Barnahus) in Sweden Experiences of Children and Parents

Rasmusson, Bodil LU (2011) In Child Indicators Research 4(2). p.301-321
Abstract
This article is based on an evaluation of Children's Advocacy Centers (CAC) in six municipalities in Sweden 2006-2007. The study concerned cooperation between different authorities (police, social services, public prosecutor, forensic medicine, pediatrics and child psychiatry) responsible for children who were suspected of being exposed to sexual or physical abuse. It is anticipated that use of CACs will improve the quality of investigations and that the legal process should thus be facilitated and rendered more effective. Qualitative interviews were carried out with 12 children and 22 parents at the different centers. Interviews included their experiences regarding the place and the premises, the treatment, earlier contacts with... (More)
This article is based on an evaluation of Children's Advocacy Centers (CAC) in six municipalities in Sweden 2006-2007. The study concerned cooperation between different authorities (police, social services, public prosecutor, forensic medicine, pediatrics and child psychiatry) responsible for children who were suspected of being exposed to sexual or physical abuse. It is anticipated that use of CACs will improve the quality of investigations and that the legal process should thus be facilitated and rendered more effective. Qualitative interviews were carried out with 12 children and 22 parents at the different centers. Interviews included their experiences regarding the place and the premises, the treatment, earlier contacts with professionals, information and access to treatment and support. The results show that both children and parents appreciated the child-friendly and safe environment and the kind treatment by the staff. Information from the professionals was of crucial importance. The different processes taking place in connection with interrogation and assessments were potentially (at times) difficult to understand. It was at times difficult for the professional actors to take both the children's, the parents' and the families' perspectives into consideration especially in relation to the suspected offenders. Voices from children and parents have contributed to deepened understanding about the complexity in applying a child-centered approach and a child perspective within the domain of child protection. The evaluation generated important knowledge with implications for practice and further development of Children's advocacy centers. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Children's advocacy centre, Client perspective, Child-centered, approach, Evaluation, Sweden
in
Child Indicators Research
volume
4
issue
2
pages
301 - 321
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000288509600008
  • scopus:79960845696
  • other:DOI 10.1007/s12187-010-9094-y
ISSN
1874-897X
DOI
10.1007/s12187-010-9094-y
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e1d4dfff-00ad-4c94-9066-00708be3b04a (old id 1925456)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:36:34
date last changed
2022-01-26 00:50:48
@article{e1d4dfff-00ad-4c94-9066-00708be3b04a,
  abstract     = {{This article is based on an evaluation of Children's Advocacy Centers (CAC) in six municipalities in Sweden 2006-2007. The study concerned cooperation between different authorities (police, social services, public prosecutor, forensic medicine, pediatrics and child psychiatry) responsible for children who were suspected of being exposed to sexual or physical abuse. It is anticipated that use of CACs will improve the quality of investigations and that the legal process should thus be facilitated and rendered more effective. Qualitative interviews were carried out with 12 children and 22 parents at the different centers. Interviews included their experiences regarding the place and the premises, the treatment, earlier contacts with professionals, information and access to treatment and support. The results show that both children and parents appreciated the child-friendly and safe environment and the kind treatment by the staff. Information from the professionals was of crucial importance. The different processes taking place in connection with interrogation and assessments were potentially (at times) difficult to understand. It was at times difficult for the professional actors to take both the children's, the parents' and the families' perspectives into consideration especially in relation to the suspected offenders. Voices from children and parents have contributed to deepened understanding about the complexity in applying a child-centered approach and a child perspective within the domain of child protection. The evaluation generated important knowledge with implications for practice and further development of Children's advocacy centers.}},
  author       = {{Rasmusson, Bodil}},
  issn         = {{1874-897X}},
  keywords     = {{Children's advocacy centre; Client perspective; Child-centered; approach; Evaluation; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{301--321}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Child Indicators Research}},
  title        = {{Children's Advocacy Centers (Barnahus) in Sweden Experiences of Children and Parents}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12187-010-9094-y}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s12187-010-9094-y}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}