The aim of the research study was to explore resilience in refugee children, using a Gestalt approach to play therapy. The hypothesis, was that a Gestalt approach to play therapy could promote resilience in Refugee children. A literature review was conducted. This revealed that unaccompanied refugee children were unique because they need to deal with trauma, loss and change while having to adjust to living in a new country and many have to learn to speak a new language. The research method was a multiple case study and an intervention research model was used to implement the research. Schoeman's Working Model was used as the Gestalt play therapy approach. Attributes of resilient children were used to measure the results. The researcher concluded that play therapy with a Gestalt approach may promote resilience in refugee children because it increases the numbers of protective factors in a child's life. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Här presenteras ett ramverk för beslutsanalytisk metod baserad på principen om maximering av den förväntade nyttan gällande värdering av olika alternativ för åldersbedömning av ensamkommande inom asylprocessen. Med detta ramverk som utgångspunkt görs en jämförelse mellan ett antal metoder (mognad hos visdomstand, knäled och handled samt Rättsmedicinalverkets metod baserad på både visdomstand och knäled) för medicinsk åldersbedömning. Dessa metoder jämförs vidare med tre referensalternativ (i) lita på den ensamkommandes åldersuppgifter vilket i praktiken innebär att bedöma alla som barn, (ii) bedöma alla ensamkommande som vuxna och (iii) det absurda alternativet att singla slant för att avgöra vem som är barn eller vuxen. Det som behövs för beslutsanalysen är antaganden och/eller skattningar på åldersfördelningen av ensamkommande som åldersbedöms samt skattning för de olika metoderna på hur stor sannolikheten är att en person bedöms som vuxen givet den faktiska åldern. Vidare krävs en kvantifiering av nyttan för en felklassificering av en vuxen, då en felklassificering av ett barn antas ge lägst nytta och en korrekt klassificering antas ge högst nytta. Åldersfördelningen av ensamkommande som åldersbedöms antas här bestå av en kombination av två likformiga och kontinuerliga fördelningar, där intervallen är 15-18 år (barn) respektive 18-21 år (vuxna). Två nyttomodeller undersöks, en diskret som endast tar hänsyn till om individen är barn eller vuxen samt en kontinuerlig linjär nyttomodell som tar hänsyn till åldersskillnaden från 18-årsgränsen vid en felklassificering. De genomförda analyserna demonstrerar hur ramverket kan användas i praktiken. Givet de antaganden som gjorts är slutsatsen att det alternativ som ger högst förväntad nytta i stor utsträckning beror på prevalensen (andelen vuxna) tillsammans med hur nyttan för en felklassificerad vuxen värderas. Oavsett värdering, vid prevalens nära 0 bör alla bedömas som barn, för att när prevalensen ökar ersättas ersättas av en metod som i stor utsträckning klassificerar barn korrekt, när prevalensen ökar ytterligare ersättas av en metod som i större utsträckning klassificerar vuxna korrekt och slutligen när prevalensen är nära 1 bör alla bedömas som vuxna. / A framework for a decision analysis method that is based on the principle of maximization of the expected utility regarding alternatives of age assessment for unaccompanied asylum seekers is here presented. Using the framework, different methods (dental, knee joint, hand wrist and the method used by The National Board of Forensic Medicine (RMV) that combines the methods for dental och knee joint) for medical age assessment are compared. These methods are further compared with three benchmark alternatives, (i) to trust the age given by the unaccompanied asylum seeker which results that all are considered to be children, (ii) to consider all the unaccompanied asylum seekers as adults and (iii) the absurd alternative to flip a coin to decide who is a child or an adult. For the decision analysis, assumptions and/or estimates for the age distribution of the unaccompanied refugees are needed and estimates for the different methods regarding how probably it is to be considered an adult given the actual age. The outcome of a child that is incorrectly classified is assumed to give the lowest utility and a correct classification (both children and adult) is assumed to give the highest utility. The utility of the outcome of an adult that is incorrectly classified as a child needs to be quantified. The age distribution of unaccompanied refugee, considered for age assessment is here assumed to be a combination of two continuous uniform distributions, with the interval 15-18 years (child) and 18-21 years (adult). Two utility models are examined, a discrete model that only consider if the individual is a child or an adult and a continuously linear utility model that consider the age difference from 18 years given an incorrect classification. The analyzes carried out demonstrates how the framework can be used in practice. Given the assumptions that are made the conclusion is that the alternative that gives the highest expected utility depends on the prevalence (proportion of adults) together with the valuation of the utility for an incorrect classified adult. Regardless of the valuation, when the prevalence is close to 0 all should be considered to be children, when the prevalence increases should be replaced with a method that largely classifies children correct when the prevalence is further increased should be replaced with a method that largely classifies adults correct and finally, when the prevalence is close to 1 all should be considered as adults.

Syftet med denna uppsats har varit att beskriva och analysera hur unga vuxna i efterhand minns hur det var att komma som ensamkommande barn och integreras i Sverige. I denna studie har en kvalitativ metod använts, och fem semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med unga vuxna med erfarenheter av att komma till Sverige som ensamkommande barn. Studiens teoretiska referensram består av Giddens (2014) idealmodeller för etnisk integration, Lidskogs (2009) resonemang kring social sammanhållning och kulturellt korstryck och Al Baldawis (2014) teori om migration och anpassning. Tidigare forskning består av studie om begreppet integration, hur integration kan se ut för ensamkommande barn samt hur socialtjänsten arbetar med ensamkommande barn. Tidigare forskning i denna uppsats har använts i kombination med uppsatsens teoretiska referensram i analysdelen. Uppsatsens huvudresultat visade bland annat att unga vuxna upplevde att mycket ansvar låg i deras händer gällande sin integration i Sverige. Resultatet visade även att det var en utmaning för de unga vuxna att möta den nya kulturen och det nya samhällssystemet. Denna utmaningen klarade vissa unga vuxna på egen hand medan andra fick hjälp av vuxna personer eller nya kompisar. Vidare framkom det att unga vuxna upplevde att språk och umgänge var viktiga komponenter som ingick i integrationsprocessen. / The purpose of this study has been to describe and analyze how young adults remember in retrospect, what it was like to come as unaccompanied minors and integrate in Sweden. In this study, we use the qualitative research method with the help of five semi structured interviews that were conducted with young adults that hold the experience of coming to Sweden as unaccompanied children. The theoretical framework of this study lies in Giddens (2014) ideal models for ethnic integration, Lidskog’s reasoning about social cohesion and cultural pressures and Al Badawi’s (2014) theory of migration and adaption. Earlier research in this study has been of use in combination with the essays theoretical framework in the analysis. The main result in the essay has indicated (amongst other things) that young adults experience having much responsibility concerning their integration in Sweden. Results also showed that it was challenging for the young adults to encounter the new culture and the new social system. This challenge was successfully handled by some young adults single-handedly while the others got help from adults and new friends. Furthermore, it was found that young adults experienced that language and social intercourse were important components which was part of the integration process.

Syftet i den här studien har varit att undersöka hur ensamkommande unga i Sverige beskriver sin upplevelse av familjeåterförening och vilken innebörd eller mening familjeåterföreningen har för dem. Vidare har vi haft för avsikt att ta reda på hur ensamkommande unga upplever den förändring som sker när samhällsstödet dras in vid familjens ankomst till Sverige. Studien är en kvalitativ intervjustudie där vi intervjuat tre personer som kommit till Sverige som ensamkommande barn och som senare återförenats med sina familjer i Sverige. Studiens teoretiska ramverk utgörs av Schütz fenomenologiska sociologi samt Berger och Luckmanns teori om den sociala verkligheten. För att ytterligare fördjupa förståelsen har vi kompletterat det teoretiska ramverket med Boss teori om tvetydig förlust samt med Greifs teori om tvetydig återförening. Analysmetoden var interpretativ fenomenologisk analys (IPA). Studiens huvudsakliga resultat är att det verkar finnas en kluvenhet i ensamkommande ungas upplevelser av familjeåterföreningen. Samtidigt som familjeåterföreningen har haft stor betydelse för respondenterna, har tiden efter återföreningen präglats av ett påfrestande ansvar över familjen. Avslutningsvis diskuteras eventuella brister i socialtjänstens stöd för familjer vid familjeåterförening i Sverige. / The purpose of this study was to explore how unaccompanied minors describe their experiences of family reunification, and what importance or implications it has for them. Furthermore, our aim was to find out how they experience the withdrawal of public social support after the arrival of their families. We interviewed three persons who were unaccompanied minors by the arrival to Sweden, and later reunified with their families in Sweden. The theoretical framework of this qualitative interview study is formed by Schütz’ phenomenological sociology and Berger and Luckmann’s theory of the social construction of reality. We complemented the theoretical framework with Boss’ theory of ambiguous loss and Greif’s theory of ambiguous reunification. The method for analysis used is Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The main results shown in this study is that there seems to be an ambiguity in the family reunification experience. On one hand, the family reunification was of big importance to the participants. On the other hand, the time following the reunification was characterized by a great responsibility for the family. Finally, we discuss possible shortcomings in the way the public social support for families after family reunification is provided.

The aim of this essay was to examine the justifications of the swedish government to perform medical age assessments on unaccompanied refugee children seeking asylum in Sweden. These governmental justifications were analyzed through Michel Foucault's theory of disciplinary power as well as through anthropological research on classification of age. The empirical material consisted of a selection of websites from different authorities that process medical age assessments. These were then studied through critical discourse analysis. The essay showed that these justifications can be understood as an expression of disciplinary power, where medical age assessments discipline individuals to docile bodies. Furthermore, the analysis also showed that the governmental justifications were partly founded upon western concepts of how a child is supposed to be and what a child is entitled to.

1 252 unaccompanied refugee children have disappeared in Sweden since 2007. These children have never been found. Nearly one unaccompanied refuge child disappears per day. This happens during the time they are within the Swedish authorities' responsibility. This thesis uses the framing theory of the mass media regarding the missing unaccompanied refugee children and what the mass media considers to be the cause of their disappearance, the moral aspects of the articles and the solutions to the problem. The study uses a qualitative content analysis to explore the framing theory and the agenda of the mass media to answer the research questions of the thesis. A quantitative analyze has been implemented to present how many articles there are that gets written regarding the missing unaccompanied refugee children. The material used in this thesis is a complete selection of the daily newspapers from Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter, Expressen, Svenska dagbladet as well as the two newspapers Sydsvenskan and Göteborgs-Posten. The material includes 71 articles that where published from 1st of January 2007 and 1st of April 2015. Thus the material consists of 71 articles from an eight-year period. Nearly one unaccompanied refuge child disappears per day in Sweden while the mass media publishes eight articles a year about this matter. The results of this thesis indicate that the missing unaccompanied refugee children do not get much attention in the agenda of the mass media. The results also show that the reason why these unaccompanied children may disappear while they are within the responsibility of the Swedish authorities is that there is no one who cares about them. Neither the authorities, journalists nor the citizens. / 1 252 ensamkommande flyktingbarn i Sverige har försvunnit sedan 2007. Dessa barn har aldrig återfunnits. Det försvinner nästintill ett ensamkommande barn om dagen i Sverige under tiden de är under svenska myndigheters ansvar. I denna uppsats analyseras massmedias gestaltning kring de försvunna ensamkommande flyktingbarnen, vad massmedia anser vara orsaken till att de försvinner, hur de moraliska aspekterna presenteras i artiklarna samt vilka lösningar på problemet som framläggs i media. Studien använder sig av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys för att analysera gestaltnings teorin samt massmedias dagordningsmakt i uppsatsen material samt för att besvara uppsatsens frågeställningar. En kvantitativ analys har även används för att presentera hur pass många artiklar som skrivs kring de försvunna ensamkommande flyktingbarnen. Materialet är ett totalurval från dagstidningarna Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter, Expressen, Svenska Dagbladet samt ytterligare två tidningar Sydsvenskan och Göteborgs-Posten. Materialet består av 71 artiklar och dessa artiklar är publicerade mellan 1 januari 2007 till 1 april 2015. Materialet består därmed av 71 artiklar från en åtta års period. Det försvinner nästan ett ensamkommande flyktingbarn per dag i Sverige och massmedia skriver Åtta artiklar per år om detta, det innebär att varje tidning skriver 1,4 artiklar var per år.   Uppsatsens resultat visar att problemet med de försvunna ensamkommande flyktingbarnen inte får stor plats i massmedias dagordning. Resultatet visar även att orsaken till att dessa ensamkommande flyktingbarn kan försvinna under tiden som de är under svenska myndigheters ansvar är att ingen verkar bry sig. Varken myndigheter, journalister eller medborgare.

Introduction Not all children seeking asylum without parents or other relatives are entitled to residence permits. In the last few years, more than one in four unaccompanied asylum-seeking refugee children have been forced to repatriate, either to their home country or to a transit country. Mostly the children refuse to leave the country voluntarily, and it becomes a forced repatriation. Five actors collaborate in the Swedish child forced repatriation process: social workers, staff at care homes, police officers, Swedish Migration Board officers and legal guardians. When a child is forced to repatriate, the Swedish workers involved must consider two different demands. The first demand requires dignified repatriation, which is incorporated from the European Union’s (EU’s) Return Directive into Swedish Aliens Act. The second demand requires that the repatriation process be conducted efficiently, which means that a higher number of repatriation cases must be processed. The fact that the same professionals have different and seemingly contradictory requirements places high demands on the involved collaborators. Two professionals have a legal responsibility for the children until the last minute before they leave Sweden: social workers and police officers. That makes them key actors in forced repatriation, as they carry most of the responsibility in the process. Further, they often work with children who are afraid what will happen when they return to their home country and often express their fear through powerful emotions. Being responsible and obliged to carry out the government’s decision, despite forcing children to leave a safe country, may evoke negative emotional and mental stress for the professionals involved in forced repatriation. Aim The overall aim of this study is to explore and analyse forced repatriation workers’ collaboration and perceived mental health, with special focus on social workers and police officers in the Swedish context. Materials and methods The study combines a qualitative and quantitative research design in order to shed light at both a deep and general level on forced repatriation. In qualitative substudy I, a qualitative case study methodology was used in one municipality in a middle-sized city in Sweden. The municipality had a contract regarding the reception of unaccompanied asylum-seeking refugee children iv with the Swedish Migration Board. The municipality in focus has a population of more than 100,000 inhabitants. The city in which the data were collected has developed a refugee reception system where unaccompanied asylumseeking refugee children are resettled and await a final decision regarding their permit applications. This situation made it possible to recruit participants who had worked with unaccompanied refugee children without a permit. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 20 social workers, staff at care homes, police officers, Swedish Migration Board officers and legal guardians. A thematic approach was used to analyse the data. In quantitative substudies II, III and IV, a national survey of social workers (n = 380) and police officers (n = 714), with and without experience of forced repatriation, was conducted. The questionnaires included sociodemographic characteristics, the Swedish Demand-Control Questionnaire, Interview Schedule for Social Interaction, Ways of Coping Questionnaire and the 12- item General Mental Health Questionnaire. Factor analysis, correlational analysis, and univariate and multivariable regression models were used to analyse the data. Results The qualitative results in substudy I showed low levels of collaboration among the actors (social workers, staff at care homes, police officers, Swedish Migration Board officers and legal guardians) and the use of different strategies to manage their work tasks. Some of them used a teamwork pattern, showing an understanding of the different roles in forced repatriation, and were willing to compromise for the sake of collaboration. Others tended to isolate themselves from interaction and acted on the basis of personal preference, and some tended to behave sensitively, withdraw and become passive observers rather than active partners in the forced repatriation. The quantitative results in substudy II showed that poorer mental health was associated with working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking refugee children among social workers but not among police officers. Psychological job demand was a significant predictor for mental health among social workers, while psychological job demand, decision latitude and marital status were predictors among police officers. Substudy III showed that both social workers and police officers reported relatively high access to social support. Furthermore, police officers working in forced repatriation with low levels of satisfaction with social interaction and close emotional support increased the odds of psychological disturbances. In substudy IV, social workers used more escape avoidance, distancing and positive-reappraisal coping, whereas police officers used more planful problem solving and self-controlling coping. Additionally, social workers with experience in forced repatriation used more planful problem solving than those without experience. Conclusions In order to create the most dignified forced repatriation, based on human dignity, for unaccompanied asylum-seeking refugee children and with healthy actors, a forced repatriation system needs: overall statutory national guidance, interagency collaboration, actors working within a teamworking pattern, forced repatriation workers with reasonable job demands and decision latitude, with a high level of social support and adaptive coping strategies. The point of departure for an interagency model is that it is impossible to change the circumstances of the asylum process, but it is possible to make the system more functional and better adapted to both the children’s needs and those of the professionals who are set to handle the children. A centre for unaccompanied asylum-seeking refugee children, consisting of all actors involved in the children’s asylum process sitting under the same roof, at the governmental level (Swedish Migration Board, the police authority) and municipality level (social services, board of legal guardians), can meet all requirements.

Introduction: Policing is a public health issue. The police often encounter vulnerable populations. Police officers have wide discretionary powers, which could impact on how they support vulnerable populations. In encountering vulnerable populations the police officers are required to be professional; maintaining mental health in the face of challenges is part of professionalism. Their encounters with vulnerable populations might influence their mental health which in turn might influence the way they use their discretion when making decisions. Background/context: Sweden receives more unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children than any other country in Europe. The number of asylum applications for such children increased from 400 in 2004 to 7000 in 2014 to over 35,000 in 2015. These children come to Sweden and apply for asylum without being under the care of their parents or other legal guardian. Some are denied asylum. If they do not return to their country of origin voluntarily the police are responsible for their deportation. The Swedish government wants an increasing number of deportations and wants them carried out with dignity. This thesis is about the police officers’ perceptions of how to interpret the seemingly contradictory demands for more deportations, that is, efficiency; and concerns for human rights during the deportation process, that is, dignity. This is conceptualized using three theoretical frameworks: a) street-level bureaucracy, b) job demand-control-social support model and c) coping. These theoretical frameworks indicate the complexity of the issue and function as constructions by means of which understanding can be brought to the police officers’ perceptions of deportation work involving unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children and how such work is associated to their mental health. Aim: The current research aims to investigate and analyse Swedish police officers’ mental health in the context of deportations of unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children. Methods: This thesis uses both qualitative and quantitative methodology. The qualitative approach comprised interviews conducted to achieve a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of police officers’ perceptions of deportations of unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children. The quantitative method involved the use of validated questionnaires to investigate the association between police officers’ mental health and psychosocial job characteristics and coping. This approach made it possible to study a complex issue in a complex environment and to present relevant recommendations. A total of 14 border police officers were interviewed and 714 police officers responded to a survey. Results: The police officers utilize their wide discretionary powers and perceive that they are doing what is best in the situation, trying to listen to the child and to be aware of the child’s needs. Police officers with experience of deportations of unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children were not found to have poorer mental health than police officers with no such experience. Furthermore, high job demand, low decision latitude, low levels of work-related social support, shift work and being single are associated with poor mental health. Coping moderates the association between mental health and the experience of carrying out deportations of unaccompanied, asylum-seeking, refugee children, and the police officers seem to utilize both emotional and problem-solving coping during the same complex deportation process. Implications / conclusions: The general conclusion reached in this thesis is that if police officers are subject to reasonable demands, have high decision latitude, access to work-related social support, and utilize adaptable coping, the deportation work does not seem to affect their mental health. When police officers meet vulnerable people, they utilize their discretionary powers to deal with seemingly contradictory demands, that is, efficiency and dignity. The executive role in the deportations of unaccompanied, asylum-seeking refugee children and the awareness of dealing with a child threatened with deportation might give rise to activation of a sense of protection, safety and security. Discretion might make it possible to act on this sense of protection, safety and security and to combine efficiency and dignity. Further studies, which integrate cognitive and emotional discretion with coping, need to be undertaken. / Introduktion: Polisarbete är i mångt och mycket en folkhälsofråga, något som inte minst blir tydligt i polisers möte med utsatta människor. Poliser har ett stort handlingsutrymme, vilket kan påverka hur de bemöter utsatta människor. I mötet med dessa människor behöver poliserna vara professionella; att ta hand om sin psykiska hälsa när man möts av utmaningar är en del av professionalismen. Att möta utsatta människor kan påverka polisernas psykiska hälsa, som i sin tur kan påverka hur de använder sitt handlingsutrymme när de fattar beslut. Bakgrund: Sverige tar emot fler ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn än något annat land i Europa. Antalet asylansökningar för sådana barn ökade från 400 år 2004 till 7000 år 2014 till över 35 000 år 2015. Dessa barn kommer till Sverige och ansöker om asyl utan sina föräldrar eller annan vårdnadshavare. Somliga av dem nekas asyl. Om de inte återvänder till sitt ursprungsland frivilligt är polisen ansvariga för utvisningen. Den svenska regeringen kräver ett ökande antal verkställigheter av av- och utvisningar samt fastlår att verkställigheterna ska genomföras med respekt för människors värdighet. Denna avhandling handlar om polisers uppfattningar och tolkningar av de till synes motsägelsefulla kraven på att verkställa fler av- och utvisningar, det vill säga effektivitet; och hur man hanterar de mänskliga rättigheterna under utvisningsprocessen, det vill säga värdighet. Detta beskrivs och analyseras med hjälp av tre teoretiska ramverk: a) gräsrotsbyråkrati, b) jobb-krav-kontroll-socialt stödmodellen och c) coping. Dessa teoretiska ramverk visar på arbetsuppgiftens komplexitet och fungerar som utgångspunkt för att skapa förståelse för polisernas uppfattningar av arbetet med att verkställa av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn och hur sådant arbete är associerat med polisernas psykiska hälsa. Syfte: Denna avhandling syftar till att undersöka och analysera svenska polisers psykiska hälsa i relation till av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn. Metod: Både kvalitativ och kvantitativ metod användes i denna avhandling. Det kvalitativa tillvägagångssättet innefattade intervjuer för att uppnå en djupare förståelse för hur poliser uppfattar av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn. Den kvantitativa metoden innebar tillämpning av validerade frågeformulär för att undersöka sambandet mellan polisernas psykiska hälsa och psykosociala jobbkarakteristika samt coping. Detta tillvägagångssätt gjorde det möjligt att studera en komplex fråga i en komplex miljö och att presentera relevanta rekommendationer. Totalt intervjuades 14 gränspoliser och 714 poliser svarade på en enkätundersökning. Resultat: Resultatet visar att poliserna utnyttjar sitt stora handlingsutrymme och uppfattar att de gör det som är bäst i situationen, att de försöker lyssna på barnet och vara medvetna om barnets behov. Poliser med erfarenhet av av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn har inte visat sig ha en sämre psykisk hälsa än poliser utan sådan erfarenhet. Vidare är höga krav och lågt beslutsutrymme på arbetet, låga nivåer av arbetsrelaterat socialt stöd, skiftarbete och singelliv associerat med dålig psykisk hälsa. Coping mildrar effekten på den psykiska hälsan hos de som har erfarenhet av att utföra av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn. Poliserna verkar utnyttja både emotionell och problemlösande coping under en och samma komplexa utvisningsprocess. Slutsats: Den viktigaste slutsatsen i denna avhandling är att om poliser utsätts för rimliga krav, har stort beslutsutrymme, tillgång till arbetsrelaterat socialt stöd och använder sig av anpassningsbar coping, verkar det som att arbetet med av- och utvisningar inte påverkar deras psykiska hälsa. När poliser möter utsatta människor utnyttjar de sitt handlingsutrymme för att hantera de till synes motsägelsefulla kraven, det vill säga effektivitet och värdighet. Den verkställande rollen i av- och utvisningar av ensamkommande asylsökande flyktingbarn och medvetenheten om att hantera ett barn som hotas av utvisning kan ge upphov till en aktivering av känslan att ge skydd, trygghet och säkerhet. Handlingsutrymmet kan göra det möjligt att agera på denna känsla av skydd, trygghet och säkerhet samt att kunna kombinera effektivitet och värdighet. Ytterligare studier, som integrerar kognitivt och känslomässigt handlingsutrymme med coping, behöver emellertid genomföras.

This paper is a qualitative study about how personnel in Homes for Care and Accommodation work with mental health issues among unaccompanied children. The purpose with this study is to identify how they are working with mental health issues and explore how the personnel would like to work if their resources were unlimited. Interviews have been used as a qualitative method in this study and a social constructionist approach has been applied. The theoretical perspective in this study is salutogenesis and this perspective has been the stepping stone during the analysis of the gathered material. A reflexive analysis of the empirical data has been made and the result is presented in several themes connected to the experience of the personnel. The result and analysis show that it is not the duty of the accommodations to work with mental health issues but still, in practice, this have become their responsibility. The methods used are mainly focusing on building relationships with and structure around the adolescents. Conversations are the most important tool when working with mental health issues. The result also presents that clear information, more help from professionals and more education are items the respondents wishes that they had access to. In the discussion, reasoning is around who has the responsibility for mental health among unaccompanied children and how an increased sense of context could be a proposition for trying to decrease mental health issues among unaccompanied children. / Detta är en kvalitativ studie som berör hur personal på Hem för Vård och Boende arbetar med psykisk ohälsa hos ensamkommande barn. Syftet med studien är att identifiera på vilka sätt personal arbetar med psykisk ohälsa samt undersöka hur de skulle vilja arbeta om det fanns tillgång till obegränsat med resurser. I studien har djupintervjuer använts som datainsamlingsmetod och en socialkonstruktionistisk ansats har applicerats. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten i studien är salutogenes och har därmed tillämpats vid analys av det insamlade materialet. En reflexiv analys av empirin har genomförts och resultatet presenteras i olika teman kopplade till personalens upplevelser. I resultat och analys framkommer att respondenterna anser att det inte ligger i boendenas uppdrag att arbeta med psykisk ohälsa men att det i praktiken fallit på deras lott. Metoder som tillämpas i det vardagliga arbetet går främst ut på att bygga relationer med och skapa struktur kring ungdomarna. Samtal är det viktigaste redskapet i arbetet med psykisk ohälsa. Vidare visar resultatet att tydligare information, mer professionell hjälp och mer utbildning ligger på respondenternas önskelista. I diskussionen förs ett resonemang kring vem som egentligen har ansvaret för att arbeta med psykisk ohälsa hos ensamkommande barn och ungdomar samt att en ökad känsla av sammanhang kan vara ett förslag till minskad psykisk ohälsa hos ensamkommande ungdomar.

The years 2010 and 2011 recorded a number of incidents of natural disasters around the globe. These disasters resulted in death, injuries and loss of family members. Children, a vulnerable group of persons, found themselves caught up in the chaos of the natural disasters. Some children lost family members, others became separated from their families and caregiver(s) as a result of the disaster, and those who were "alone" prior to the natural disasters became completely exposed to serious physical and psychological harm. Yet, every child has the right to a family. States have a duty to protect separated and unaccompanied children. Such protection involves prevention of separation, assessment of the child's situation, registration, documentation, family tracing, verification and reunification, emergency care arrangements, and permanent care arrangements. Based on the premise that every child has a right to grow up in a family environment this dissertation attempts to answer the question: How can separated children and unaccompanied children, in the African context, be protected in the event of natural disasters such that their right to a family is promoted and protected? In so doing, it presents an explanation of the concepts of separated children and unaccompanied children through investigation xii into the practical effects of separation on children. It also presents discussions on the concept "natural disasters" and some of the effects of natural disasters on separated children and unaccompanied children. There is an attempt at defining the concept "family" based on its internal and external constitution and function, and a consideration of the needs which a family should satisfy in a child. Familial rights enjoyed by children are presented and analysed as rights which exist under the canopy of the "right to a family". In line with the Interagency Guiding Principles, the different stages of protection in natural disasters are highlighted and particular attention is given to intercountry adoption and the implications of placing moratoriums on intercountry adoptions at different stages of the intercountry adoption process, following events of natural disasters. The study stresses the need to balance the importance of protecting the child with the need to provide the child with a permanent family. Copyright / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Private Law / unrestricted