Aim: The aim of this study is to find a deeper understanding of how children who are exposed to child abuse cope and how it affect the contact between them and the public authority. Method: It is a qualitative study and the autobiographies are analyzed with a hermeneutic science theory. Result: The study shows that the children we have learned about through their autobiographies has different kinds of coping strategies in the contact with the public authority. The coping strategies has been helpful for them to handle what they have been exposed to and also from their perspective been helpful to control their situations. The coping strategy that has been the most visible is the emotional focused strategy which is determined of guilt, shame and fear. The emotional focused strategy brought avoidance to talk about their situation with the public authority to be able to stay in control over their situation. The shame and guilt is also a part why the children choose to avoid talking about what they are exposed to. The fear of losing control over the situation is the most visible reason why they would not talk to the public authority even though their childhood was striked with serious abuse and a great fear of not knowing what would happen if the public authority got involved which would result in the feeling of losing control. Conclusion: The children's coping strategies has made an impact on the relations between them and the public authority and has been an conductive variable to the public authorities lack of action. As a social worker it is in greatest interest to be aware of which coping strategies can figure in matters of child abuse.

Denna kvalitativa studie ämnar till att undersöka hur kvinnor som utsatts för våld i nära relation upplever bemötandet av myndigheter när de söker hjälp. Myndigheterna som främst ligger till fokus är polismyndigheten och socialtjänsten. Underlaget har insamlats genom semistrukturerade intervjuer där sex kvinnor delat tankar, känslor och upplevelser av mötet med myndigheter efter att de hade utsatts för våld. Studiens teoretiska ramverk är Papakostas (2009) tillit och misstro, Bourdieus (Bourdieu & Wacquant 1992) fält och symboliskt våld samt Goffmans (1998) framträdandet och intrycksstyrningen som har tillämpats som verktyg för att analysera resultatet. Intervjuerna har transkriberats och kodats för att sedermera utvärderas med tematisk analys.Studiens resultat visar att detta möte är en ömsesidigt förståelse där myndighetens mål till att tillgodose kvinnans behov kan bli svårt om kvinnan inte berättar vad hon behöver. Kvinnas kunskap om myndigheterna påverkar hennes inställning och förväntning av mötet med myndigheten. Vidare framkom att ett negativt upplevt möte och bemötande kan vara tillräckligt för att den redan skambelagda kvinnan ska ge upp och tappa tilliten till att få hjälp från välfärdsstaten. / The aim of this qualitative study is to investigate how women who have been subjected to violence in a close relationship experience the treatment of the authority when they look for help. The authorities that are the focus of this study is the police and social services. The studies data is collected from semi structured interviews with six women who were a part of this violence and have been in contact with these named authorities. The theoretical framework of the study is Bourdieu's (Bourdieu & Wacquant 1992) field and symbolic voilence. Papakosta's (2009) trust and mistrust and Goffman's (1998) appearance which has also been applied as a tool to analyze the results. The empirical data is transcribed, coded and evaluated with the help of thematic analysis among which by means of those selected theories, it shows how the experience of a woman from the meeting can lead into trust and suspicion to the committed police and social service authorities. The result of this study makes it clear that a mutual understanding of both sides is an important factor. The authorities’ goal is to please the women's needs and requires that women clarify her needs. The knowledge that women have from the authorities is crucial for their attitudes and expectation of the meeting with the authorities. Furthermore, it emerged that negatively experienced meetings and treatment may be enough for the already disgraced woman to give up and lose confidence in receiving help from the welfare state.