Svensk barnavård och tvångsvård av barn och unga har diskuterats och problematiserats av flertalet forskare och har även varit lagstadgat sedan början av 1900-talet. Lagen och hur samhället ser på problembeteende och skyddsbehov har sedan dess förändrats. Exempelvis så var den dominerande synen, innan 1900-talet, att samhället hade en viss skyldighet att skydda och hjälpa barn och unga i nöd men präglades snarare av ett samhällsskyddande synsätt. Även vad som anses vara ett problem har förändrats över tid och korrigerats inom lagstiftningen. Hur vi människor kommer överens om vad som är normalt eller normbrytande görs dels genom sociala processer men också genom språk där vi konstruerar en gemensam verklighet som vi förhåller oss till. Lagstiftningen som sådan är en, av människan skapad, konstruktion av vad vi gemensamt anser är de normer som vi ska förhålla oss till. Därav anser vi att det är intressant att se hur barn och ungdomars normbrytande beteende skrivs fram, framställs eller konkretiseras i domar som berör tvångsvård av barn. Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur ett barns skyddsbehov och problembeteenden konstrueras i domar rörande 3 § lagen (1990:52) med särskilda bestämmelser om vård av unga (LVU). För att besvara studiens syfte har följande frågeställning varit vägledande; vilka problembeteenden och skyddsbehov framställs i domar som avser vård enligt 3 § LVU? Ett kvalitativt angreppssätt har använts för att svara på studiens syfte och frågeställning. Studiens empiri består av 33 förvaltningsrättsdomar mellan åren 2012 och 2017 från en, för studien, specifik kommun. Studiens teoretiska utgångspunkt är socialkonstruktionism och tematisk analys används som analysverktyg. Studien analyseras med stöd av socialkonstruktivistisk teori och med stöd av tankar från bland andra Johanna Schiratzki, Anna Hollander, Astrid Schlytter, Lina Ponnert, Pernilla Leviner och Titti Mattsson, för att nämna några. Resultatet presenteras med stöd av fem huvudteman; brottslig verksamhet, missbruk av beroendeframkallande medel, något annat socialt nedbrytande beteende, påtaglig risk och samtycke. Samt fem subteman utifrån rekvisitet socialt nedbrytande beteende; olämpliga miljöer, missbruk, bristande skolgång, kriminalitet och sist neuropsykiatriska diagnoser och/eller annan psykisk variation. Studiens resultat visar på att de ungas skyddsbehov och problembeteende skrivs fram genom rekvisiten inom LVU lagstiftningen och att konstruktionen av dessa börjar i och med socialsekreterarens LVU-utredning och socialnämndens ansökan om vård med stöd av LVU. Resultatet visar även på att förvaltningsrätten som oftast bifaller socialnämndens ansökan om vård och i studiens empiriska material avslås endast två ansökningar. I studiens avslutande kapitel förs en diskussion om studiens slutsatser men också om vidare forskning kring konstruktionen gällande barn och ungdomars skyddsbehov och problembeteende. / Swedish child welfare and compulsory care for children and adolescents has been discussed and problematized by most researchers and been statutory since the beginning of the 20th century. The law and the way Swedish society views problem behavior, child and adolescent delinquency and the need to care and protect the children with such needs has changed over time. For example, the dominant view, before the 20th century, was that society had a certain obligation to protect and help children and young in need, but rather was characterized by a community-protection approach. What society considers to be a problem behavior has changed over time and been corrected multiple times within the law. How people agree on what is a normal or problematic behavior, when it comes to children and adolescents, is through social processes and language. Through our common social processes and languages we construct a common reality to which we can relate. Legislation as such is a man-made construction of what we commonly consider to be the norms that we should follow. Therefore, we find it interesting to understand how children and adolescents problem behavior is expressed, produced or concretized in judgments relating to compulsory care.  The purpose of the study is to investigate how a child’s or young person’s problem behaviors and protection needs are constructed in judgments relating to 3 § of the care of young people (special provision) act (LVU). In order to answer the purpose of the study the following questions should be asked; what problem behaviors and protection needs are constructed in judgments relating to care under 3 § of the LVU? A qualitative approach has been used to answer the study’s purpose and questions. The empirical study consists of 33 court judgments between 2012 and 2017 from one specific municipality. The theoretical basis of the study is social constructionism and thematic analysis is used as an analytical tool. The study is analyzed on the basis of social constructivist theory and supported by research from, to name a few, Johanna Schiratzki, Anna Hollander, Astrid Schlytter, Lina Ponnert, Pernilla Leviner and Titti Mattsson.  The results of the study indicate that the problem behavior and protection needs of children and young people are constructed through the LVU-legislation process and that the social construction begins with the Social Welfare Committee's LVU investigation and application for care with the support of LVU. The result also shows that law most often approves of the Social Welfare Committee's application compulsory care. In the empirical material of the study, only two applications were rejected. The study's final chapter discusses the conclusions of the study, but also on further research on the construction of children and young people's problem behavior and protection needs.

Problem statement Due to HIV and AIDS impacting on communities, devastating consequences have been predicted. The number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in need of care is escalating, causing social workers’ caseloads to become unmanageable. These OVC who lost their parents through death are suffering multiple losses due to being orphaned. The material, protection and affection needs have to be addressed in a holistic, eco-systematic, multidisciplinary team approach. In practice social workers tend to focus mainly on the material and protection needs of OVC due to high caseloads and staff turnover, neglecting their affection needs. Social workers need to work with foster parents and children in identifying potential risk factors that could lead to risk behaviour in foster children who have lost their parents through death. The researcher designed an assessment tool that could enable social workers in practice to do an effective risk assessment of OVC in foster care. Intervention could be planned accordingly by setting goals to address risk factors timeously in an attempt to prevent future problem behaviour in OVC placed in foster care. Aim To develop an assessment tool for social workers to identify risk behaviour in foster children who have experienced multiple losses such as the loss of one or both parents. Method A mixed methods design was used, specifically the sequential and explanatory design which involved collecting and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data. These obtained data were then connected and integrated. Results It was proved that a Risk assessment tool helped social workers to identify risk factors in a team effort between social workers, foster parents and children. Meeting the psychosocial needs of OVC placed in foster care more effectively is important in order to prevent the development of negative behaviour. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Problem statement Due to HIV and AIDS impacting on communities, devastating consequences have been predicted. The number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in need of care is escalating, causing social workers’ caseloads to become unmanageable. These OVC who lost their parents through death are suffering multiple losses due to being orphaned. The material, protection and affection needs have to be addressed in a holistic, eco-systematic, multidisciplinary team approach. In practice social workers tend to focus mainly on the material and protection needs of OVC due to high caseloads and staff turnover, neglecting their affection needs. Social workers need to work with foster parents and children in identifying potential risk factors that could lead to risk behaviour in foster children who have lost their parents through death. The researcher designed an assessment tool that could enable social workers in practice to do an effective risk assessment of OVC in foster care. Intervention could be planned accordingly by setting goals to address risk factors timeously in an attempt to prevent future problem behaviour in OVC placed in foster care. Aim To develop an assessment tool for social workers to identify risk behaviour in foster children who have experienced multiple losses such as the loss of one or both parents. Method A mixed methods design was used, specifically the sequential and explanatory design which involved collecting and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data. These obtained data were then connected and integrated. Results It was proved that a Risk assessment tool helped social workers to identify risk factors in a team effort between social workers, foster parents and children. Meeting the psychosocial needs of OVC placed in foster care more effectively is important in order to prevent the development of negative behaviour. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015