<p>The Swedish and the Finnish compulsory care legislation that regards abusers differ in several ways. The arguments for compulsory care and for the time which one will receive compulsory care are dissimilar. The aim of this thesis is to describe and analyse which arguments for compulsory care and the length of the care time that has been expressed in the Swedish and the Finnish laws and in the statutes. The tools were an argumentation analysis, which is a form of qualitative text analysis method, combined with a hermeneutic scientific position. We have investigated the arguments that try to justify compulsory care and the care time that has been expressed in the laws and the statutes. The next step has been to analyse the text on the basis of an argumentation analysis and the theories. The theoretical starting point has been Michel Foucault's concept of power and discipline, the paternalistic and utilitarian values and four ethical perspectives. Important conclusions are that Sweden’s arguments for applying compulsory care are to inhibit, in particular the young abusers, from destroying their lives. The care time, on maximum 6 months, is justified with the arguments that motivation for continued voluntary treatment will be provoked. The arguments in Finland has focused on removing the abuser from the society during an acute stage of the abuse, where the abuser’s life or somebody else’s life in the abusers environment is in danger, this can take place for maximum 30 days. Our results have pointed out that Sweden has a more paternalistic view to the compulsory care of abusers than Finland.</p>

The Swedish and the Finnish compulsory care legislation that regards abusers differ in several ways. The arguments for compulsory care and for the time which one will receive compulsory care are dissimilar. The aim of this thesis is to describe and analyse which arguments for compulsory care and the length of the care time that has been expressed in the Swedish and the Finnish laws and in the statutes. The tools were an argumentation analysis, which is a form of qualitative text analysis method, combined with a hermeneutic scientific position. We have investigated the arguments that try to justify compulsory care and the care time that has been expressed in the laws and the statutes. The next step has been to analyse the text on the basis of an argumentation analysis and the theories. The theoretical starting point has been Michel Foucault's concept of power and discipline, the paternalistic and utilitarian values and four ethical perspectives. Important conclusions are that Sweden’s arguments for applying compulsory care are to inhibit, in particular the young abusers, from destroying their lives. The care time, on maximum 6 months, is justified with the arguments that motivation for continued voluntary treatment will be provoked. The arguments in Finland has focused on removing the abuser from the society during an acute stage of the abuse, where the abuser’s life or somebody else’s life in the abusers environment is in danger, this can take place for maximum 30 days. Our results have pointed out that Sweden has a more paternalistic view to the compulsory care of abusers than Finland.