The new millennia has been characterised by developments in the digital world, creating a new space for social work practice globally. The aim of this research is to explore the online medium as an alternative resource for social work with online groups through an observation and interviews in an online group for Bipolar Disorderin Sweden. The results found that lived experience proved central to all forms of participation and support was seen as a resource to be shared. The implications for social work practice were found on multiple levels with broad areas of influence, such as utilising the online medium as an alternative source of insight, thereby allowing needs assessment, both onindividual and [sub]group level. Accessibility by way of the internet was seen as a catalyser to participation as well as a comprehensive method in creating such communities both locally and internationally through the development of digital social work.

Denna kvalitativa flerfallsstudie syftar till att skapa en fördjupad förståelse av digitalt socialt arbete. Vi vill undersöka det digitala kunskapshöjande arbetet och det digitala stödet så som det beskrivs på stödorganisationerna Bris, ECPAT och Storasyster hemsidor, avseende barns sexuella utsatthet på internet. Studiens material analyseras med hjälp av tematisk analys .Resultatet presenteras genom två centrala teman, digital informationsspridning och digitala praktiska åtgärder med tillhörande fem subteman. I diskussionen diskuteras stödorganisationernas digitala arbete utifrån teorin om nätverks- och informationssamhälle. Slutsatsen visar att stödorganisationernas informationsspridning på deras hemsidor görs i nätverkssamhället där individer kopplas samman via nätverk. Storasysters “onlinesyster” och“onlinebror” är mer lik massamhällets uppbyggnad med starkare kontakter, medan ECPATs“ snabbhjälpen” och Bris “brisboten” är mer lik nätverkssamhällets ideal med minimal kontakt. Uppsatsen har skapat en fördjupad förståelse av variationer av digital informationsspridning samt av digitalt stöd. / This qualitative multi-case study aims to create an in-depth understanding of digital socialwork. We want to examinate the digital knowledge-raising work and digital support as described on the support organizations Bris, ECPAT and Storasyster websites, regarding children's sexual vulnerability on the internet. The material of the study consists of supportorganizations’ websites and digitally published texts that are analyzed using thematic analysis. The discussion highlights the support organizations’ digital work with the theory ofnetwork and information society. The conclusion shows that the support organizations’ dissemination of information on their websites is done in the network society where individuals are connected via networks. “Onlinesyster" are more similar to the mass society with stronger contacts, while "snabbhjälpen" and "brisboten" are more similar to the ideal ofthe network society with minimal contact. The thesis has created an in-depth understanding of variations in digital information dissemination as well as digital support.