In Sweden the divorce rates has increased during the latter part of the 20 th century. For many children it’s everyday life growing up with parents no longer living together. The Parental Code states that "The child's best interests must be central to any decision in custody, residence and access." But what does the child’s best interest really mean and how do we investigate it? We decided to investigate its meaning by interviewing social workers regarding their interpretations of the child's best interests from a family law perspective. We also wanted to examine what they’re doing to protect the child's perspective in custody investigations. Our study is based on seven qualitative interviews with social workers dealing with family law matters. The interviews were based partly on our interview guide, but also on three fictitious cases that the social workers had to discuss and think about. Our theoretical starting point is based on Foucault's analysis of knowledge and power, Sannerstedt´s theory of implementation and Lipsky's theory of street – level bureaucrats and their discretion. Our study shows that social workers believe that the child's best interests are difficult to define and open to a variety of interpretations. Our results also shows that all social workers assume that the child's best interests shall be crucial to any decision concerning custody, residence and access, but illustrates the problem with the child's best interests are individualized for each child and is open to interpretation. It’s important to see from the child's point of view and trying to get acquainted with the child's situation. Research and experience are two important pieces which form the basis for the judgments they make.

Titel: “You can tell us and we will listen, but it is not certain that it is you who makes the final decision” A study about the best interest of the child and the child´s participation in high-conflict families in custody investigations from a family law socialworkers point of view.   This study examined how four social workers at municipal social service section responsible for family law issues interpret the concepts of children's best interests, the child's participation and high conflict families concerning issues of child custody investigations, from a qualitative perspective. The study was performed using semi-structured interviews based on fictitious case studies on these themes. The main results regarding the child's best interest was the perceived lack of accepted knowledge base to assess the current interests of the child and the presence and severity of various risks children may face in the company of their parents. The main results regarding the child's involvement was, according to the interviewed social workers at the municipal social service section responsible for family law issues, that they generally follow the National Social Board of legislative interpretations and recommendations but that the protection aspect outweight the expense of the degree of participation of the child. The conclusion was in accordance with the indication from children's rights organizations the children will often be heard but do not always get their views listened to. The concept high- conflict families was not an established concept, even if the problem was well known. / Denna studie undersökte hur fyra familjerättssekreterare tolkar begreppen barns bästa, barnets delaktighet och högkonfliktfamiljer gällande umgängesfrågor i vårdnadsutredningar utifrån ett kvalitativt perspektiv. Studien gjordes med hjälp semistrukturerade intervjuer som byggde på fiktiva fallstudier kring dessa teman. Ett huvudresultat utifrån intervjuerna gällande barnets bästa var att det saknas vedertagen kunskapsbas att utgå ifrån för att bedöma förekomsten och allvaret i de olika risker barnet kan utsättas för i umgänget med sina föräldrar. Ett tydligt resultat gällande barnets delaktighet var utifrån de intervjuade familjerättssekreterare att familjerätten generellt följer Socialstyrelsens lagtolkningar och rekommendationer men att skyddsaspekten ofta väger över på bekostnad av graden av delaktighet för barnet. Slutsatsen blev att precis som barnrättsorganisationer uppgett, får barnen ofta komma till tals men blir inte alltid lyssnade på och deras synpunkter underordnas ofta ett vuxet barnperspektiv. Begreppet högkonfliktfamilj var inte ett använt begrepp bland familjerättssekreterare, även om problematiken var välkänd.

<p>In Sweden the divorce rates has increased during the latter part of the 20</p><p>th century. For many children it’s everyday life growing up with parents no longer living together. The Parental Code states that "The child's best interests must be central to any decision in custody, residence and access." But what does the child’s best interest really mean and how do we investigate it? We decided to investigate its meaning by interviewing social workers regarding their interpretations of the child's best interests from a family law perspective. We also wanted to examine what they’re doing to protect the child's perspective in custody investigations. Our study is based on seven qualitative interviews with social workers dealing with family law matters. The interviews were based partly on our interview guide, but also on three fictitious cases that the social workers had to discuss and think about. Our theoretical starting point is based on Foucault's analysis of knowledge and power, Sannerstedt´s theory of implementation and Lipsky's theory of street – level bureaucrats and their discretion. Our study shows that social workers believe that the child's best interests are difficult to define and open to a variety of interpretations. Our results also shows that all social workers assume that the child's best interests shall be crucial to any decision concerning custody, residence and access, but illustrates the problem with the child's best interests are individualized for each child and is open to interpretation. It’s important to see from the child's point of view and trying to get acquainted with the child's situation. Research and experience are two important pieces which form the basis for the judgments they make.</p>

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Syftet med studien var att undersöka vilka resonemang som ligger till grund i familjerättens utredningar när det finns uppgifter om våld i nära relation, samt undersöka hur våldet värderas, bedöms och synliggörs i familjerättens utredningar. I denna kvalitativa innehållsanalys undersöks åtta vårdnadsutredningar. Resultatet visar att barnets bästa i stor utsträckning bedöms vara kontakt med båda föräldrarna trots uppgifter om våld. Genom fokus på föräldrarnas samarbete finns en strävan hos familjerätten att hålla ihop den separerade kärnfamiljen. Mammans utsatthet diskuteras i begränsad utsträckning, barnets behov av kontakt med pappan anses som viktigt oavsett hur det påverkar mamman. Slutsatsen är att resultatet i studien stämmer överens med tidigare forskning, uppgifter om våld utreds inte ordentligt och implicit värderas kärnfamiljen högt.

The aim of this study was to understand which factors that lay the foundation for social workers’ custody investigations and the judges’ decisions in custody disputes. Additionally, it was to examine the social workers’ and the judges’ views on children’s’ rights in this process. The study was based on qualitative research where six semi-structured interviews were conducted. Four social workers and two judges working with custody- investigations, and disputes were interviewed. The analysis consists of two key concepts: the concept of discretion and child sociology. The result shows that judges and social workers experience difficulties with interpreting the best interest of the child, that there are different perceptions about when lone and joint custody should be considered and how to best design the rights of access. A common consensus among the interviewees with regards to the best interest of the child, is that each situation requires an individual interpretation while considering necessary safety aspects. Social workers’ statements tend to dominate how the best interests of a child is defined in a judge’s decision. Both professions find ways to accommodate the best interests of the child, even though it does not always turn out ideal. There is a strong believe that the child’s voice is governing the decision, even though our study shows that it is not always considered in the custody investigations nor in court.

The purpose of this essay is to make visible how social workers in family law construct gender in their custody investigations and whether there are gender differences in the assessment of mothers and fathers. This is to achieve a deeper understanding of how gender constructions can affect the investigative process and possible differentiation based on the parents´gender. Previous researches shows that social workers tend to reproduce a traditional view of family and gender, which means that women and men are assigned certain tasks and roles. Since statistics show that the district courts follow recommendations of social workers, it is important to understand how mothers and fathers are constructed in custody investigations. This was done using a qualitative content analysis of 12 custody investigations. The material was analyzed based on a constructionist gender theory and a social constructivist theory. Our study shows that social workers construct gender by identifying the mother and father based on gender stereotypes. Social workers are also more forgiving of the mother than the father when their shortcomings are presented. In the study, it was also possible to establish that there are more expectations of the mother and that social workers highlight more circumstances surrounding the mother. This meant that they focused differently depending on which of the parents was to be investigated. The study partly refuted previous research, for example by the father taking his responsibility.

<p>There is an ongoing discussion in Sweden about child perspective and child’s perspective.</p><p>The municipalities’ family law units are required to include these perspectives in their investigations. But how do they affect the outcome of custody investigations? This essay addresses that issue. I have looked at how much say children have and how much they participate in their custody investigations. I have studied fourteen children, from seven custody investigations, what their views are and how children are presented in these investigations.</p><p>I use a social constructionist theory according to which the way children are viewed is constructed through interactions between people. This essay uses the terms “showing” and “telling” to see how children get their say. In a showing text it is the child who tells the story. In a telling text it is the narrator who is telling us about the child.</p><p>Nine of the children give a clear opinion of which parent they want to live with and how much they want to see the other parent. Eight of the investigations use a showing text to describe the children. These children’s opinions have a greater impact on the investigation than the ones described with a telling text.</p>

There is an ongoing discussion in Sweden about child perspective and child’s perspective. The municipalities’ family law units are required to include these perspectives in their investigations. But how do they affect the outcome of custody investigations? This essay addresses that issue. I have looked at how much say children have and how much they participate in their custody investigations. I have studied fourteen children, from seven custody investigations, what their views are and how children are presented in these investigations. I use a social constructionist theory according to which the way children are viewed is constructed through interactions between people. This essay uses the terms “showing” and “telling” to see how children get their say. In a showing text it is the child who tells the story. In a telling text it is the narrator who is telling us about the child. Nine of the children give a clear opinion of which parent they want to live with and how much they want to see the other parent. Eight of the investigations use a showing text to describe the children. These children’s opinions have a greater impact on the investigation than the ones described with a telling text.

Syftet med studien är att, utifrån en kritisk-saklig utredningsmetodik, granska hur familjerättssekreterare presenterar och bedömer barnets bästa och våld i nära relationer i 16 vårdnads-, boende- och umgängesutredningar. Utredningarna är gjorda av familjerätten i Örebro kommun. För att besvara studiens syfte och frågeställningar har den kvalitativa metoden dokumentgranskning använts i kombination med en semistrukturerad intervju. Studien visar att barn under nio år regelmässigt fråntas rätten att göra sin röst hörd samt att ett vuxet barnperspektiv genomsyrar utredningstexterna. Konsekvensen blir att barnets perspektiv osynliggörs och utelämnas. Språket har en avgörande betydelse för hur våldsproblematik hanteras, våldet tenderar att tonas ner eller ignoreras helt i bedömningen. Våld i nära relationer relateras inte till barnets mående, anknytning eller föräldraförmåga. Det är inte heller något som diskuteras eller tas hänsyn till i bedömningen. Den kritiskt-sakliga utredningsmetodiken har genom sina teoretiska begrepp varit ett grundläggande verktyg i studiens analys och diskussion. Detta har kombinerats med den lagstiftning som reglerar familjerättens uppdrag samt anknytningsteori och barnets bästa. Studien ämnar bidra till reflektion, inspiration och upplysning rörande barnets bästa och våld i nära relationer i vårdnads-, boende- och umgängesutredningar. Förhoppningsvis kan studien även bidra till att öka barnens inflytande i vårdnadstvister, stärka deras ställning och göra deras röster hörda. / The aim of the thesis is to examine, based on critical-factual investigation methodology, how family law secretary’s presents and assess “child’s best” and domestic violence in 16 custody-residence- and contact investigations. The investigations are made by family law in Örebro. To reach the aim of the study and the research questions the qualitative method document review was used in combination with a semi-structured interview. The results of the study showed that children younger than nine years routinely were denied the right to have their voices heard and also that an adult child’s perspective permeates the investigations. The consequence is that the child's perspective became ​​invisible or omitted. Language has an important part in how violence is handled, it tends to be grayed or ignored in the assessment. Domestic violence is not either related to the child’s wellbeing, attachment theory or parenting skills. That is also something that is not discussed or taken into consideration in the assessment. The critical-factual investigation methodology through its theoretical concepts has been a fundamental tool in the analysis and discussion. This has been combined with the law that regulates the family law assignment, attachment and “child´s best”. The study intends to contribute to a reflection, inspiration and enlightenment concerning “child´s best” and domestic violence in custody-, residence- and contact investigations. Hopefully, the study also helps to increase the children's interests in custody disputes, strengthen their position and to make the children´s voices heard.