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Bland biblar och heliga kor - om barn och unga som far illa inom den sociala barnavården

Stridh, Therese LU and Ferhatovic, Anja LU (2009) SOPA63 20091
School of Social Work
Abstract
Author: Anja Ferhatovic and Therese Stridh
Title: Among bibles and holy cows - about maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare. [translated title]
Supervisor: Claes Levin
Assessor: Eva-Malin Antoniusson

The purpose of this study was to examine social workers experiences of maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare. More specifically, our aim was to find out how social workers look upon the directives of the law in their work with children and youth, in what way maltreatment manifests itself in child welfare and how social workers look upon how the media presents maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare. Our aim was also to examine social workers experience of the conditions in their work and what... (More)
Author: Anja Ferhatovic and Therese Stridh
Title: Among bibles and holy cows - about maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare. [translated title]
Supervisor: Claes Levin
Assessor: Eva-Malin Antoniusson

The purpose of this study was to examine social workers experiences of maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare. More specifically, our aim was to find out how social workers look upon the directives of the law in their work with children and youth, in what way maltreatment manifests itself in child welfare and how social workers look upon how the media presents maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare. Our aim was also to examine social workers experience of the conditions in their work and what they believe is needed to prevent maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare. The study was based on qualitative interviews with eleven social workers in Malmö. To analyze our material we used Lipsky`s theory of street-level bureaucrats using two kinds of perspectives; discretion and conflict. The study showed that social workers experience an absence of adequate resources in order to perform in the way that society expects them to. They also experience a conflict between what the organization expects them to do and what they can do within their discretion. The organization determines the degree of the discretion according to Lipsky, which corresponds well with our results. We found that some of the social workers found it hard to act in an organization without explicit goals and directives. They also expressed difficulties in question of interpretation and boundaries. The social workers thought that media is presenting an unfair and simplistic image of the child welfare. They also believed that this image could have a negative impact on the public, which could affect their work in a negative way. All these aspects combined with poor alternatives can contribute to maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Stridh, Therese LU and Ferhatovic, Anja LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOPA63 20091
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
social workers, Child welfare, maltreatment, children and youth
language
Swedish
id
1413536
date added to LUP
2009-06-09 17:24:22
date last changed
2009-06-09 17:24:22
@misc{1413536,
  abstract     = {{Author: Anja Ferhatovic and Therese Stridh 
Title: Among bibles and holy cows - about maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare. [translated title] 
Supervisor: Claes Levin 
Assessor: Eva-Malin Antoniusson

The purpose of this study was to examine social workers experiences of maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare. More specifically, our aim was to find out how social workers look upon the directives of the law in their work with children and youth, in what way maltreatment manifests itself in child welfare and how social workers look upon how the media presents maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare. Our aim was also to examine social workers experience of the conditions in their work and what they believe is needed to prevent maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare.  The study was based on qualitative interviews with eleven social workers in Malmö. To analyze our material we used Lipsky`s theory of street-level bureaucrats using two kinds of perspectives; discretion and conflict. The study showed that social workers experience an absence of adequate resources in order to perform in the way that society expects them to. They also experience a conflict between what the organization expects them to do and what they can do within their discretion. The organization determines the degree of the discretion according to Lipsky, which corresponds well with our results. We found that some of the social workers found it hard to act in an organization without explicit goals and directives. They also expressed difficulties in question of interpretation and boundaries. The social workers thought that media is presenting an unfair and simplistic image of the child welfare. They also believed that this image could have a negative impact on the public, which could affect their work in a negative way. All these aspects combined with poor alternatives can contribute to maltreatment of children and youth in child welfare.}},
  author       = {{Stridh, Therese and Ferhatovic, Anja}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Bland biblar och heliga kor - om barn och unga som far illa inom den sociala barnavården}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}