Socialarbetares arbete med att identifiera våldsutsatthet hos barn med NPF-diagnoser : “Jo men alltså, utmaningarna är att symptomen är lika, är det diagnos eller är det våld i hemmet?”

Sammanfattning

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders are at increased risk of being exposed to violence shows previous research. At the same time it can be challenging for social workers to identify the violence that children with neurodevelopmental disorders experience because of the similarity in symptoms of violence and the neurodevelopmental disorders. The process of identification becomes an obstacle because the symptoms of the both may overlap. Regarding previous knowledge about how professionals work with these children in practice is very limited therefore the aim of this study was to explore how social workers within social services and school counsellors work with identifying and assessing violence exposure from caregivers among children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The aim of this study has been to identify areas for development within this subject. The study has a qualitative approach and is based on eight semi-structured interviews with both social workers and school counsellors in Sweden. The interviews were analysed through thematic analysis and by Lipsky's theory of discretion and Becker's labelling theory. The findings of the study indicate that the work of identifying violence among children with neurological disorders is experienced as an uncertain and complex process where professionals describe difficulties with distinguishing signs of violence from behaviors associated with neurological disorders. Professionals described that this creates a risk that violence may be overlooked or missed. The study also highlights a need for increased competence about neurological disorders and violence, improved methods and more individually adapted approaches in practice.