In recent years, Europe has witnessed a flow of refugees from war struck areas who seek asylum in various European countries, where Sweden is one of the recipient country. A large portion of these refugees comprise of unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs). Aim: The aim of the present study is to examine how unaccompanied refugee minors have the conditions in Malmo when it comes to individual health and lifestyle (tobacco, alcohol and drug use) and social environment (absence of family, living situation, school, social support and future prospects) as compared to the general population of the same age; and also, if these conditions could possibly put them at a risk to encounter or commit a crime. Method: The data is collected using quantitative survey questionnaires distributed to URMs (N=30). The data of the general population has been obtained through Region Skåne. Results: The findings indicate that in comparison to the general population, URMs report high level of ill-health, tobacco use, access to narcotics and low social support, which are termed as risk factors. The institute of school, however, is termed a protective factor for the URMs, where they score almost equivalent to the general population in terms of school satisfaction and better than them in terms of help and support from the teachers. The implication of the findings are discussed further in the paper.

The purpose of this study is to investigate adult women's experiences of sexual abuse by a close adult relative in their childhood. We have chosen to study two autobiographies written by women who themselves grew up in an environment where they were subjected to sexual abuse. The objective has been to analyze how these adult women remember their experience of circumstances perceived as positive and negative in their surrounding environment as children. Our empirical data will be analyzed using theories of risk and protective factors. The risk factors that will be analyzed include individual, family-based and community-level factors. The protective factors include individual characteristics, family patterns, close relationships and the significance of the community. The results show that the most prominent risk factors in the narratives are family-based, acting out behavior at school, self-blame and fear. The protective factors we could identify were significant relatives, awareness and empowering thoughts as well as school and friends. Overall the results indicate that the protective factors identified in the adult women´s narrative from their childhood have had a significant impact on the outcome of the risk factors to which the women were exposed to as children.

Denna studie är en fallstudie vid två av Magelungens dagverksamheter. Studien inkluderar tre olika perspektiv: ungdom, förälder och behandlare. Syftet med studien har varit att undersöka informanternas upplevelser av ungdomens tid på Magelungens dagverksamhet. Detta har gjorts genom en kvalitativ metod där sekundärdata, i form av nio intervjuer genomförda av Magelungens forskningsgrupp, har bearbetats och analyserats genom meningskoncentrering. Studien tar avstamp i den kunskapslucka kring kvalitativ forskning om dagverksamheter som forskningsgenomgången visar på. Resultatet tyder på att informanterna generellt sett är nöjda med tiden på dagverksamheten. Det positiva kretsar kring gemenskap, det lilla sammanhanget, personalens förhållningssätt och en individanpassad verksamhet som inkluderar flera områden. Det framkommer även negativa upplevelser som då framförallt handlar om att personalen borde ställt mer krav på ungdomarna. Det kretsar även kring att ungdomarna inte förbereddes tillräckligt inför avslutet från Magelungen och övergången till ”en vanlig skola”. De negativa upplevelserna kommer framförallt från föräldrar och personal medan ungdomarna själva är mer positiva. I diskussionen har systemteori samt risk- och skyddsfaktorer använts som utgångspunkt för att tolka resultaten. Resultaten diskuteras vidare i förhållande till implikationer för vidare forskning utifrån svårigheterna i att bedöma dagverksamheternas kvalitet då ungdomar placerade där utgör en mycket heterogen grupp. / This study is a case study at two of Magelungens day treatment centers. The study includes three different perspectives: adolescent, parent and therapist. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interviewees' experiences of the adolescents’ time at Magelungens day treatment center. This has been done through a qualitative approach where secondary data, in the form of nine interviews conducted by Magelungens research group, were processed and analyzed by the method of sense concentration. The study takes off from the gap of knowledge on qualitative research on day treatment centers as the research review shows.  The result indicates that the interviewees are generally satisfied with the adolescents’ time at the day treatment center. The positive experiences revolve around solidarity, the small context, the approach of the staff and an individualized setting that includes several domains. It also reveals negative experiences that mostly centers on the fact that the staff should have put more demands on the adolescents. It also revolves around the adolescents not being prepared enough for the transition to “a regular school”. The negative experiences mainly belong to the parents and staff, while the adolescents themselves are more positive. In the discussion, systems theory as well as the understanding of risk and protective factors is used as a basis for interpreting the results. The results are further discussed in relation to implications for further research with regards to the difficulties in assessing the quality of day treatment centers since the adolescents placed there are such a heterogeneous group.

Despite theoretical support for the role of the family in providing a foundation to protect youth against risks for aggression, there is little published literature examining a protective influence. This study examined family functioning and perceived parental messages about fighting and nonviolence as moderators of the relation between risk factors and adolescent aggression. The specific risk factors included affiliating with a delinquent group of peers, attending a school with norms that support aggression, and witnessing violence within the community. Secondary analyses were conducted on data collected from a high-risk sample of 537 adolescents in 2 cohorts from 18 schools. Adolescents completed measures of peer delinquent behavior and community violence exposure at the beginning and end of the sixth grade and at the end of the following two school years. An aggregated school-level measure of norms supporting aggression was constructed from a random sample of students in each cohort and school. Family variables included adolescent reports of parental messages supporting fighting and nonviolence, and family functioning classes created through a latent profile analysis of adolescent and parent reports of family cohesion, family problem-solving, parental involvement, and positive parenting. Aggression was assessed by a composite of ratings from parents, teachers, and adolescents. Longitudinal analyses indicated that delinquent peer associations and witnessing violence were each related to changes in aggression over time. School norms supporting aggression was not significantly related to aggression. Parental messages supporting nonviolence and not supporting fighting, and good family functioning at the start of the sixth grade were each related to lower subsequent levels of aggression. Few protective effects of family processes were found. High family functioning reduced the risk associated with delinquent peer associations. Lower levels of parental support for fighting buffered the risk associated with witnessing violence, but not at higher levels of witnessing violence. Thus, whereas a foundation of positive parental messages and good family functioning was associated with lower aggression overall, these family factors generally did not serve to protect adolescents that experienced higher levels of risk. These findings suggest a need for further study of protective factors for adolescents in the face of peer, school, and community risk.

The diploma thesis makes use of qualitative analytical methods of the Grounded Theory to explore the theme of "reflection of experience with school of boys from Diagnostic Institute for Youth". It sets a goal to understand the context of subjective meanings of adolescent boys. The result of the analysis is a description of the dynamic metamorphosis in relation to the school, using the description of internal and external factors affecting this phenomenon. Among the main discovered themes belong the role of the authority of educator and the usage of supervisory tools and the evaluation of their effectiveness by their addressee. Furthermore, the thesis devotes to description of the transformation of internal motivational dispositions of the individual (needs, interests, attitudes and values). The two main themes synthesize to the concept of transformation of the relationship to school. The thesis is a qualitative probe into the inner world of the adolescent subjects who, at the threshold of adulthood, are teetering on the edge of a risky behavior and a socially acceptable experimentation which naturally belongs to this developmental period. The thesis flows into a formulation of theory, which is valid for this very specific context. Research data were obtained via interviews led in accordance with...

Att identifiera problemet är avgörande i behandlingen av ungdomar med normbrytande beteende, men för många av de bedömningsinstrument som används saknas utvärdering. När det gäller beteendeobservationer under en längre behandlingsperiod, tycks det vara särskilt ont om kvalitetssäkrade instrument. Det övergripande syftet för denna uppsats är att undersöka beteendeobservationer som utvecklats inom en longitudinell studie (Behandlings- och resultatuppföljning, BRU) vid SiS’ ungdomshem Stigby, och om dessa lämpar sig för att bedöma de inskrivna elevernas relevanta risk- och skyddsfaktorer och hur dessa förändras under vårdtiden. Undersökningen inkluderar 40 pojkar på Stigby i åldrarna 16-20 år. Resultatet består av två delstudier, där del ett undersöker instrumentets psykometriska egenskaper. De första analyserna av beteendeobservationerna visar att 21 av de 24 områdena är lämpliga för att mäta förändring över tid. Del två i resultatet undersöker förändring över tid under behandlingen på Stigby. På samtliga områden noteras att bedömningarna av problemets allvarlighetsgrad har minskat. Den föreliggande studien visar att beteendeobservationerna bör kunna ligga till grund för de utfallsmätningar som planeras i den longitudinella studien två och fem år efter avslutad behandling. / Identifying the problem is crucial in the treatment of adolescents with rule-breaking behavior, but many of the instruments used has not been evaluated. In the case of behavioral observations over an extended treatmentperiod, there seem to be especially short on quality assured instruments. The overall aim of this paper is to investigate the behavioral observations that have been developed in a longitudinal study (Treatment and monitoring performance, BRU) at SiS’ institution Stigby, and if these are suitable for measuring the clients relevant risk and protective factors and how they change during the treatmentperiod. The survey includes 40 boys in Stigby aged 16-20 years. The result consists of two sub-studies, where part one examines the instrument's psychometric properties. The first analysis of behavioral observations show that 21 of 24 areas are suitable for measuring change over time. Part two of the results examines changes over time during treatment at Stigby. In all these areas it is noted that the assessments of problem severity has decreased. This study shows that behavioral observations should form the basis of the outcome measures that is a part of the longitudinal study two and five years after treatment.

End of life (EOL) caregiving can be a daunting and challenging endeavor as caregivers adjust to the ever-changing care demands associated with dying. Increased personal care, assisting with symptom and medication management, and attending to the emotional and spiritual needs of the dying person require caregivers to learn new tasks and to assume new roles such as social worker, nurse, and chaplain. As families continue to play an essential role in meeting the health care needs of their dying loved ones, it is imperative for social workers to understand the complexities of the end of life caregiving experience in order to better serve this population. One way to better understand this experience is by examining it within the context of the stress process model of caregiving. This model provides a comprehensive way to examine the relationship among multiple risk and protective factors within the "caregiver-in-environment" context. Using a secondary dataset, the best fit predictive model of caregiver depression included a mix of sociodemographic characteristics, primary objective and subjective stressors, and mediating variables. Two protective factors, social support and the fulfillment of spiritual needs lessened the effects of caregiver depression among the most vulnerable caregivers. Findings from this study help to bridge the gap between theory and social work practice. The stress process model of caregiving is a well-tested theoretical model, which can be utilized to guide social workers in developing comprehensive assessment measures and interventions that target specific aspects and sources of stress within the EOL caregiving experience.

Syftet med examensarbetet var att mot pedagogers praktiska erfarenheter och professionella praktik pröva olika teorier kring risk- och skyddsfaktorer vid utagerande och internaliserande beteendeproblem hos barn och unga samt beteendeproblemens koppling till läsförmåga för att se hur teorierna fungerar i relation till praktiken. Studien är kvalitativ och datainsamlingsmetoder har varit semistrukturerade intervjuer och kompletterande enkäter med sammanlagt tio informanter. Dataanalysen har inspirerats av en fenomenografisk metodansats i de första analysstegen. Resultatet visar bland annat att informanterna har erfarenheter och uppfattningar av att barns/elevers beteendeproblem dels kan handla om förmågor och färdigheter hos individen själv, exempelvis bristande kommunikativ förmåga eller svag självkänsla, dels att faktorer i hemmiljön och/eller förskolan/skolan verkar hindrande för barnets/elevens utveckling och lärande. Framför allt visar materialet att lärarens relation till barnet/eleven och föräldrarna har stor betydelse för utgången av beteendet. Denna studie bidrar bland annat till forskningen på så sätt att slutsatser dras att det bland informanterna finns en osäkerhet i bemötandet och hanterandet av framför allt barn och unga med internaliserande beteende samt att förskolan/skolan har behov av dels mer kunskap om beteendeproblem, dels bättre tid och forum för reflektionsarbete och relationsskapande. Insatser bör vidare sättas in tidigt och gärna fokusera på att lära barnen läsa. Sammantaget finns det på flera punkter en överensstämmelse mellan denna studies resultat och med den empiriska forskning som tidigare gjorts i ämnet beteendeproblem hos barn och unga.

The experience of sexuality during adolescence is considered a normative aspect of adolescence marked by the influence of biological, familial and cultural aspects that will be the pattern of sexual identity and sexual behavior of adolescents. However, many adolescents do not have adequate knowledge and skills to implement safe sexual behavior may lead them to engage in sexual behaviors that create risk to their health. These behaviors are considered risky, and can lead adolescents to have an unwanted pregnancy or getting a sexually transmitted disease. National and international studies identified factors that may influence the development of these behaviors in sexual initiation and management of contraception. The age and education can act as protective factors related to delay of first sexual intercourse. Gender have a strong influence, especially in the management of contraception along with parental support. These factors can influence the choice of contraceptive method used in subsequent sex initiation. Observed few national studies with a focus on relationships between parental support and sexual risk behaviors in adolescents. To address the proposed objectives, this dissertation presents itself divided into two articles. In the first study, a systematic review of literature on sexual risk behavior from national studies were conducted. In the second study, we investigate possible relationships between parental support and sexual risk behaviors and other factors that could be exerting influence these behaviors, in adolescents in public schools. Participated in this study 508 students from elementary and secondary education in public schools in a city in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul. We used to collect data the Brazilian Questionare Phase II which investigating risk and protective factors in adolescents. The adolescents have their first sexual intercourse at about fourteen years old, with a steady partner. During the management of contraception it was found a decrease in the consistent use of condoms during sexual intercourse, particularly by girls who start using the pill as a contraceptive method. These data call attention to the fact that adolescents are preventing themselves from pregnancy and not STDs. / A vivência da sexualidade durante a adolescência é considerada um aspecto normativo da adolescência marcado pela influência de aspectos biológicos, familiares e culturais que vão constituir a identidade sexual e o padrão de comportamento sexual do adolescente. Entretanto muitos adolescentes podem não possuir conhecimentos adequados e habilidades para a implementação de um comportamento sexual seguro podendo levá-los a engajar-se em comportamentos sexuais que gerem risco à sua saúde. Esses comportamentos, considerados de risco, podem levar o adolescente a ter uma gravidez indesejada ou a adquirir uma doença sexualmente transmissível. Estudos nacionais e internacionais têm procurado identificar fatores que podem influenciar desenvolvimento desses comportamentos na iniciação sexual e na gestão da contracepção. A idade, a escolaridade e a religião podem atuar como fatores protetivos relacionados ao adiamento da primeira relação sexual. Aspectos relacionados ao gênero podem exercer forte influência, principalmente na gestão da contracepção nos relacionamentos sexuais posteriores a iniciação sexual, juntamente com o apoio parental. Observa-se poucos estudos nacionais com o foco nas relações entre o apoio parental e os comportamentos sexuais de risco em adolescentes. Para contemplar os objetivos propostos, a presente dissertação apresenta-se dividida em dois artigos. No primeiro estudo, foi realizada uma revisão sistemática de literatura sobre comportamento sexual de risco a partir de estudos nacionais. No segundo estudo, procurou-se investigar em adolescentes de escolas públicas, possíveis relações entre o apoio parental e comportamentos sexual de risco e outros fatores que pudesse estar exercendo influencia nesses comportamentos. Participaram dessa pesquisa 508 estudantes do ensino fundamental e médio de escolas públicas de um município da região centro do Rio Grande do Sul. Para a coleta dos dados utilizou-se o Questionário Juventude Brasileira Versão Fase II que investiga fatores de risco e proteção em adolescentes. Os adolescentes têm sua primeira relação sexual por volta dos quatorze anos de idade, com parceiros fixos. Durante a gestão da contracepção constatou-se uma diminuição do uso do preservativo nas relações sexuais, principalmente pelas meninas que passam a utilizar a pílula anticoncepcional como método contraceptivo. Esses dados alertam para o fato de que os adolescentes estão prevenindo-se de uma gravidez e não das doenças sexualmente transmissíveis.

This work deals with finding out the opinions and experiences of children from the asylum house to addictive substances and mapping the occurrence of other risky forms of behavior. Another aim of this work was to investigate and describe the risk and protective factors involved in risk behavior. The starting point for this work is that many researches point to the occurrence of risk behaviors among children and adolescents, and to the growing number of single-parent children,often ending in shelters. The theoretical part deals with the description of the use of addictive substances and the occurrence of risk behavior in the school population, as well as explanation of terms such as risk behavior and risk and protective factors. In addition, the individual chapters in the Theory are dedicated to family, school, peers, social exclusion and asylum homes. The practical part describes the process of the survey itself. The research group consisted of three children aged between 9 and 11 in one asylum house, a case study. The research set was chosen by the method of deliberate institutional selection. Half-structured interviews were used in the research, which was subsequently analyzed by encoding, segmentation and categorization of data. There were eight categories that emerged from interviews with...