Evidence-based practice [EBP] have had a large influence on social work since the 1990s and has received both praise and criticism among professional social workers. New demands on social work practice following EBP has also influenced the professional identity of social workers. This essay has sought to examine how previously published research describes the development of the discussion around evidence-based social work and how this discussion is connected to both the identity of the discipline of social work as well as the professional identity of social workers. Previous research has shown that the professional identity of social workers is multifaceted and ambivalent, especially in relation to research, knowledge and EBP. This research overview has its theoretical stance in social constructivism and critical theory. The overview has been constructed through a thematical analysis of included research which has combined both qualitative and quantitative research. The main results of this study indicate that the implementation of EBP in social work has brought both organizational and epistemological tensions within the profession to light. The results also indicate a view among professionals that the model of EBP is too narrow to incorporate the dynamic practice of social work. Because of this, social workers have started to develop their knowledge base to include more research evidence and scientific language rather than incorporating EBP in their everyday practice. The result also indicates that social workers have somewhat reconstructed their professional identity to incorporate these new demands on social work practice.

Based on an assumption that legal space can contribute to improved collaboration in social work, while at the same time it with its scope for interpretation can create obstacles to collaboration, this study has been made. This qualitative study has been limited to a smaller municipality in southern Sweden, where all interviewees, work at the social services in the adult unit, but in different sections thus problems specialized specializations. During the course of the study, another study was discovered on collaboration between the police and social services, where collaboration and cross-border cooperation work better in smaller municipalities. Based on interviewee statements, this can be confirmed even if these cannot generalize all municipalities' social workers' experience of collaboration. The social services on which the study is conducted are focused on problems for adults and collaborate with a number of different actors, units and authorities at the same time, including within the unit. In order to be able to understand and explain how collaboration takes place and is experienced, the study has been structured in such a way that the social services as the organization are described and explained based on, among other things, organizational theory. The social services are clarified based on which structure, the social secretaries work. Where both collaboration theory and complexity theory can be applied, it is also explained in more detail about internal and external collaboration, intraorganizational collaboration, interorganizational collaboration. The social secretaries are then described in their role and work performance, with a special focus on collaboration.Where specialization, legitimacy and profession form the basis for a desirable and evidence-based practice (EBP) performance of social work.  Finally, based on previous research and interviewees' statements, it has been possible to make a reflection from the clients' perspective of how they experience collaboration. This structure has facilitated the explanation of each component for a functioning collaboration and created an overview to be able to develop and clarify the social workers' experience of the collaboration.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilken betydelse socialtjänstens samverkan har för bedömning av våldsutövare som också är föräldrar. Genom en kvalitativ undersökning genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer med tre arbetsgrupper inom socialtjänsten, informanterna i studien kommer på något vis i kontakt med våldsutövare. I syfte att skapa förståelse för resultatet har jag använt mig av organisationsteori, samverkansteori, samt teorier kopplade till intersektionalitet, genus, maskulinitet och teorier om våld. Resultatet visar att informanterna i studien är eniga om att geografisk närhet till kollegor främjar samverkan i ärenden som rör våld i nära relation. Informanterna som sitter nära kollegor beskriver en välfungerande samverkan med andra enheter. De arbetsgrupper som upplever en välfungerande samverkan beskriver också att kollegor inom socialtjänsten har kännedom om varandras respektive arbetsuppgifter. Informationsutbyte avseende bedömningar gällande våldsutövare som också är föräldrar delges mellan olika enheter när det finns en välfungerande samverkan. Samtliga informanter beskriver att det finns stöd ifrån organisationens ledning, däremot är det bara två arbetsgrupper som beskriver en välfungerande samverkan. I resultatet framkommer att framgång avseende att nå ut till våldsutövare som också är föräldrar skiljer sig åt. Den arbetsgrupp som upplever större framgång i att nå ut träffar våldsutövaren tillsammans med enhet Barn och unga. Samtliga arbetsgrupper beskriver på något sätt svårigheter att bedöma hjälpbehov och mottaglighet hos våldsutövare och att det finns flera faktorer som de tänker kan påverka och försvåra mottagligheten och möjlighet att uppnå förändring, i vissa fall skiljer sig svaren från informanterna åt. Att kollegor har olika förklaringsmodeller till våld kan bidra till att olika bedömningar görs eller att våld betraktas på olika vis. Samtliga arbetsgrupper beskriver en begränsad kunskap avseende våldsutövare som också är föräldrar. Kunskapsbristen beror bland annat på bristande erfarenhet, då samtliga informanter kommit i kontakt med relativt få våldsutövare. Denna studie visar vikten av intern samverkan inom socialtjänsten i ärenden som för våld i familjer där det finns barn. / The aim of the study is to investigate the importance of social services’ collaboration for the assessment of perpetrators of domestic violence who also are parents. Through a qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three working groups within the social services, the informants in the study come into contact with perpetrators of domestic violence in some way. In order to create an understanding of the results, I have used organizational theory, collaboration theory, as well as theories connected to intersectionality, gender, masculinity and theories of violence. The results show that the informants in the study agree that geographical proximity to colleagues promotes collaboration in cases involving domestic violence. The informants who sit close to colleagues describe a well-functioning collaboration with other units. The work groups that experience a well-functioning collaboration also describe that colleagues in social services are aware of each other's respective tasks. Information exchange regarding assessments concerning perpetrators of domestic violence who are also parents is shared between different units when there is a well-functioning collaboration. All informants describe that there is support from the organization's management, however, only two working groups describe a well-functioning collaboration. The results show that success in reaching out to perpetrators of domestic violence who are also parents differs. The working group that experiences greater success in reaching out meets the perpetrator together with colleagues from the child protective services. All working groups describe in some way difficulties in assessing the need for help of perpetrators of domestic violence and that there are several factors that they think can influence and hinder the possibility of achieving change, in some cases the answers from the informants differ. The fact that colleagues have different explanatory models for domestic violence can contribute to different assessments being made or violence being viewed in different ways. All working groups describe a limited knowledge regarding perpetrators of domestic violence who are also parents. The lack of knowledge is due, among other things, to insufficient experience, as all informants have come into contact with relatively few perpetrators of domestic violence. This study shows the importance of internal collaboration within the social services in cases involving domestic violence in families where there are children.

The purpose of this essay was to investigate social workers' work with children who have mentally ill parents in order to gain a better understanding of their work and how it affects the children. Mental illness is today a growing public health problem. The proportion of Sweden's population suffering from some form of mental illness is increasing. Mental illness is both psychiatric conditions and mental disorders. It causes suffering for the individual themself, but it can also affect the individual's surroundings. A parent's mental illness affects the child through an increased risk that the child themself may develop a mental and physical illness as a young adult. Research shows that children who have mentally ill parents are an "invisible" group due to the fact that social workers often target the parents without attending to care for the children. Furthermore, research shows that there is a need for these children to be identified in order for them to receive support and that there is a lack of knowledge about care provision in Sweden.  The method used in this essay is a qualitative method and the data was collected by qualitative interviews. Our collected material has been analyzed through meaning categorization which includes coding. The conclusion that was made in this essay is that the social work with children who have a parent with mental illness is very diverse. There’s different ways a social worker can help the children and there are also factors that can hinder the work. However, it can be seen that the work contributes to the child feeling better and developing positively.

Forskning visar att klientens förtroende för den professionella är avgörande för ett gynnsamt socialt arbete. Trots betydelsen av förtroende i det sociala arbetets praktik, visar undersökningar att socialtjänsten tenderar att ha ett lägre förtroende jämfört med andra samhällsaktörer. Det verkar dock existera en kunskapslucka vad gäller forskning som undersöker förtroendet för socialtjänsten i marginaliserade områden. Eftersom personer från marginaliserade områden tenderar att ha ett lägre förtroende för politiska institutioner generellt i jämförelse med majoritetsbefolkningen, är det av särskild relevans att undersöka hur förtroendet för socialtjänsten ser ut i marginaliserade områden. Följande studie syftar därmed till att undersöka förtroendet för socialtjänsten i marginaliserade områden ur lokalinvånares och socialarbetares perspektiv. För att besvara studiens syfte har en kvalitativ metod tillämpats. Studiens datamaterial utgörs av sex intervjuer med socialarbetare och fem fokusgruppsintervjuer med lokalinvånare från Angered och Vivalla. Studiens teoretiska ramverk utgör av en postkolonial teori och begreppet ”den Andra” samt teorier om stigma och territoriell stigmatisering. Studiens resultat visar att lokalinvånare i marginaliserande område har ett bristande förtroende för socialtjänsten, vilket kommer till uttryck i form av en stor rädsla och misstro mot myndigheten. Av resultatet framkommer att lokalinvånarnas bristande förtroende för socialtjänsten kan förklaras utifrån faktorer som diskriminering och stigmatisering av personer från marginaliserade områden, bristande information om socialtjänsten, socialttjänstens bristande tillgänglighet i områdena, skam, ryktesspridning samt begränsningar i socialtjänstens verksamhet. / Research shows that the client's trust in the professional is crucial for social work. Despite the importance of trust in the practice of social work, surveys show that social services tend to have a lower level of trust compared with other societal actors. However, there seems to be a knowledge gap regarding research that examines confidence in the social services in marginalized areas. As people from marginalized areas tend to have lower confidence in political institutions compared to majority populations, it is of relevance to examine what trust in social services means and how it is expressed in marginalized areas. The following study therefore aims to examine trust in social services in marginalized areas from the perspective of local residents and social workers. A qualitative method was applied to this study to the purpose of the study and to answer the research questions. The study's data material consists of six interviews with social workers and five focus group interviews with residents from two different neighbourhoods that are considered marginalized: Angered and Vivalla. The theoretical framework of the study consists of a postcolonial theory and the concept of "the Other" as well as theories of stigma and territorial stigmatization. The results of the study show that residents in marginalized areas lack trust in social services, which is expressed in the form of fear and mistrust. The results show that the residents lack of trust in social services can be explained by factors such as discrimination and stigmatization of people from marginalized areas, lack of information about the social services, the social services' lack of accessibility in said areas, shame, rumours, and restrictions in the social services' activities.

The aim of this study is to highlight and gain an increased understanding of the stigma that can occur while growing up without a correct diagnosis. Furthermore, the study aims to increase understanding of the importance and need for knowledge about autism among social workers who work in school and care environment. Even though society´s view of people with disability has changed for the better in recent times, previous research shows that there is a stigma around people diagnoses with autism. Research also shows that it is not the diagnosis itself that is stigmatizing but the characteristics that are related to it, which can mean that undiagnosed could experience the same stigma. Research further shows that there is a need to educate social workers about the experiences and difficulties that people with autism goes through in life. The empirical data that was used in this study is based on autobiographies written by people diagnosed with autism later in life. In addition to the autobiographies, an interview was conducted with an experienced social worker to deepen the analysis. Qualitative methods are used in the form of manifest qualitative content analysis and a semi structured interview that was transcribed and analyzed together with the autobiographies. To understand the empirical data two theories were used in the analysis process, symbolic interactionism and Goffman’s stigma. The result of this study shows that both authors' upbringing was marked by a difference that was due to deviations in social interaction, exclusion in several social contexts and a development of mental illness. It is also something that is confirmed by the social worker's experiences. Another conclusion from the social worker's experiences is that knowledge is needed to be able to identify individuals with autism and prevent the feeling of stigma and exclusion.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka föreställningar om psykiskt våld i nära relation. Detta grundar sig i att socialarbetare kan bli påverkade hur psykiskt våld definieras och föreställningar om genus gällande våldsutsatta och våldsutövare. Det genomfördes en genusneutral vinjettmetod som innefattade psykiskt våld med tillhörande semistrukturerad intervjuguide utifrån en kvalitativ design med sex socialarbetare. Den empiriska data som samlats in analyserades därefter med hjälp av en tematisk analys. Resultatet visade att det fanns föreställningar som blev synliggjorda i samband med studiens vinjetter där respondenterna själva benämnde de våldsutsatta och våldsutövarna med genus. Resultatet visade också att det kan vara svårt både att definiera det psykiska våldet och att identifiera dess handlingar på grundav dess “osynlighet”. Studien har visat att det är viktigt att reflektera över föreställningar om psykiskt våld i nära relation och genus. / The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of emotional domestic violence. This is based on that social workers can be affected by how emotional domestic violence is defined and perception of what gender victim and perpetrator are. The method was gender-neutral vignettes about emotional violence combined with a semi-structured interviews with six social workers. The data was analysed with thematic analysis. Results showed that social workers had perceptions on emotional domestic violence, the respondents named victims and perpetrators in the vignettes by gender. Additionally, the results showed that emotional domestic violence can be difficult to define and identify, due to that it is not physically visible. The results emphasize the importance of increasing the awareness among social workers regarding emotional violence and gender.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie var att undersöka socialarbetarens förståelse av sekundär traumatisering, samt om de själva eventuellt upplevt eller påverkats av sekundär traumatisering. Studiens material baserar sig på semistrukturerade intervjuer med socialarbetare som arbetar med barn och unga, en målgrupp som anses vara särskilt sårbar för sekundär traumatisering, enligt tidigare forskning. Intervjumaterialet analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys och utifrån teorierna resiliens och coping. Resultaten visade en brist på kunskap kring sekundär traumatisering hos respondenterna. Samtidigt pekar deras beskrivningar på att de själva upplever symtom på sekundär traumatisering. Studiens slutsats är att kunskap kring sekundär traumatisering saknas bland socialarbetare inom socialtjänsten trots att sekundär traumatisering är en risk för denna yrkesgrupp. / The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine social workers' conceptualisation of secondary traumatization, as well as whether they themselves experience symptoms of secondary traumatization or been affected. The study material is based on semi-structured interviews with social workers who work with children and young people, a group considered particularly vulnerable to secondary traumatization according to previous research. The interview material was analysed using thematic analysis and the theories of resilience and coping. The results indicated a lack of knowledge about secondary traumatization among the respondents. At the same time, their descriptions suggest that they themselves experience symptoms of secondary traumatization. The study's conclusion is that knowledge about secondary traumatization is lacking among social workers in social services, despite secondary traumatization being a risk for this professional group.

This study investigated associations between professional groups in adolescents' surroundings and their assessments of violence in adolescent intimate relationships. The methodological approach involved quantitative surveys, each containing 4 vignettes that manipulated social categories such as gender, age, and type of violence. In total, 108 vignettes were spread across 27 surveys. Teachers and social workers (n=36) participated, with a response rate of 55.6%. Generalised estimating equations (GEE) models were used to analyse three outcomes: severity, violence assessment, and reporting tendency. The results showed significant differences based on gender and type of violence but not age. Social workers were more likely to report the violence compared to teachers, but all respondents assessed the violence as equally severe. Practical implications include whether the school has the right tools to work preventively with healthy relationships and intimate partner violence. Social work can help develop preventive measures at an early age in collaboration with schools. / I denna studie undersöktes associationer mellan yrkesgrupper i ungdomars omgivning och deras bedömningar av våld i ungdomars nära relationer. Det metodologiska tillvägagångssättet involverade kvantitativa enkäter, var och en innehållande fyra vinjetter som manipulerade sociala kategorier som kön, ålder och typ av våld. Totalt fördelades 108 vinjetter på 27 enkäter. Lärare och socialarbetare (n=36) deltog, med en svarsfrekvens på 55,6%. Generalised estimating equations (GEE) användes för att analysera tre utfall: allvarlighetsbedömning, våldsamhetsbedömning och anmälningsbenägenhet. Resultatet visade signifikanta skillnader baserat på kön och typ av våld men inte ålder. Socialsekreterarna var mer benägna att anmäla våldet jämfört med lärarna, men alla respondenter bedömde våldet som lika allvarligt. Praktiska implikationer är bland annat om skolan har rätt verktyg för att arbeta förebyggande med sunda relationer och våld i nära relationer. Socialt arbete kan bidra till att utveckla förebyggande åtgärder i tidig ålder i samarbete med skolan.

The digital era has significantly transformed many aspects of society, including prostitution, with the internet emerging as a central platform for the trade of sexual services. This shift has introduced new challenges for social workers tasked with supporting women involved in online prostitution. This study investigates social workers' approaches to identifying and assisting these women, highlighting the difficulties encountered in this context. Through focus groups discussions, the research reveals that while social workers aim to provide effective support, their methods are often shaped by preconceived notions and a lack of comprehensive understanding of online prostitution. Additionally, the study examines how social workers' approaches are influenced by their perceptions and connections to social constructionist theory and sexual script theory. The findings indicate that traditional approaches may be insufficient to address the complexities associated with online prostitution, underscoring the need for specialized professional development. The study emphasizes the importance of nuanced and empathetic strategies to better cater to the unique experiences and needs of women involved in online prostitution.