Research topic/Aim: ”Please insert your text here”

Children exposed to domestic violence (EDV) is in many countries regarded as one of society’s most important social and health problems (e.g. Feerick et al., 2006) and is a matter for the welfare system and their institutions in the Nordic countries (Eriksson, 2005; Øverlien & Hydén 2009). In Sweden, at least one child in 20 is exposed to situations of domestic violence (Annerbäck et al., 2010).  Previous research show that to be witness/exposed to domestic violence as a child is as serious and harmful as to be physically or in other ways directly abused and have the same negative consequences. To be exposed to violence may cause psychological problems, social problems and negative cognitive and academic outcomes (Mac Millan 2014; Olofsson et al. 2011; Øverlien 2010). For example, research has found lower reading levels, lower scores in math tests (Kiesel et al. 2016) and drop outs of school (Durand et al. 2011). That is, this problem is something that also have to be handled in educational settings.

In this paper we discuss some preliminary results from a reseach project which aims to investigate professionals in preschools ´ and schools´ knowledge, experiences and perception regarding children exposed to domestic violence. More specifically, the aim of the paper is to investigate if and how professionals in school notice and identify children exposed to domestic violence and if they do, how do the professionals respond on that.

Theoretical frameworks: ”Please insert your text here”

A social constuctionistic perspective on interviews and response theory are applied in the analyses.

Methodology/research design: ”Please insert your text here”

Methododologically, the project as a whole use a multimethod design including both quantitative and qualitative data. In this paper we present some results that draw on individual interviews and focus group interviews with preschool teachers, teachers, school nurses, special education teachers and school social workers that meet children on everyday basis or in more specific situations in the pre/school contexts.

Expected conclusions/Findings: ”Please insert your text here”

So far the results show that the professionals think that even if they have knowledge about the legislation about their responsibilities, they are not so familiar or think that they have knowledge enough about child abuse when it comes to being exposed to/witnessing domestic violence. The preliminary results also point at what is at stake when it comes to identify these children is; what kind of signals or symptoms that the professionals in school pay attention to, the professionals´ prerequisites and the role of relations to the child, their parents, colleagues and to the Child Protection Service. Moreover, the analyses also show that the possibility that a concern for a child will be identified and reported and for a child to get adequate support, can be explained by different factors on an individual, group and/or organizational level.

Relevance for Nordic Educational Research: ”Please insert your text here”

(see the introduction above.)

Research topic/Aim

Children exposed to domestic violence (EDV) is in many countries regarded as one of society’s most important social and health problems (e.g. Feerick et al., 2006) and is a matter for the welfare system and their institutions in the Nordic countries (Eriksson, 2005; Øverlien & Hydén 2009). In Sweden, at least one child in 20 is exposed to situations of domestic violence (Annerbäck et al., 2010).  Previous research show that to be witness/exposed to domestic violence as a child is as serious and harmful as to be physically or in other ways directly abused and have the same negative consequences. To be exposed to violence may cause psychological problems, social problems and negative cognitive and academic outcomes (Mac Millan 2014; Olofsson et al. 2011; Øverlien 2010). For example, research has found lower reading levels, lower scores in math tests (Kiesel et al. 2016) and drop outs of school (Durand et al. 2011). That is, this problem is something that also have to be handled in educational settings.

In this paper we discuss some preliminary results from a reseach project which aims to investigate professionals in preschools ´ and schools´ knowledge, experiences and perception regarding children exposed to domestic violence. More specifically, the aim of the paper is to investigate if and how professionals in school notice and identify children exposed to domestic violence and if they do, how do the professionals respond on that.

Theoretical frameworks

A social constructionistic perspective on interviews and response theory are applied in the analyses.

Methodology/research design: ”Please insert your text here”

Methododologically, the project as a whole use a multimethod design including both quantitative and qualitative data. In this paper we present some results that draw on individual interviews and focus group interviews with preschool teachers, teachers, school nurses, special education teachers and school social workers that meet children on everyday basis or in more specific situations in the pre/school contexts.

Expected conclusions/Findings

So far the results show that the professionals think that even if they have knowledge about the legislation about their responsibilities, they are not so familiar or think that they have knowledge enough about child abuse when it comes to being exposed to/witnessing domestic violence. The preliminary results also point at what is at stake when it comes to identify these children is; what kind of signals or symptoms that the professionals in school pay attention to, the professionals´ prerequisites and the role of relations to the child, their parents, colleagues and to the Child Protection Service. Moreover, the analyses also show that the possibility that a concern for a child will be identified and reported and for a child to get adequate support, can be explained by different factors on an individual, group and/or organizational level