Susanna Johansson

Diffusion and Governance of ‘Barnahus’ in the Nordic Countries: Report from an On-going Project

This paper constitutes a report from an on-going research project aimed at comparing diffusion and governance of Barnahus in the Nordic countries. Barnahus can be considered as one of the main policy ventures related to children as crime victims in recent years, building on close inter-agency collaboration under one roof. The projects focus is on how forms of diffusion and governance affect the tension between criminal and welfare law in the respective countries. In addition, variations regarding the role of governmental and voluntary or informal actors in the processes of diffusion and governance are of central concern, as well as interactions between the countries. The paper primarily presents the theoretical framework for the study, building on institutional theory, a sociology of law perspective on governance, and a power perspective. Moreover, methodological and empirical considerations are discussed in relation to the framework. Finally, the paper reflects on what the project brings to future criminological research, highlighting the knowledge on institutional circumstances, governance structures, and the balance between punishment and treatment concerning children as crime victims in the Nordic countries. More generally, the interdisciplinary framework contributes with a possibility of understanding and analyzing contemporary changes in criminal and welfare policy.

Collaborating Against Child Abuse: Exploring the Nordic Barnahus Model

The chapter studies how the establishment of Barnahus in Denmark in 2013 has affected the ability of child welfare case workers to work holistically with abused children. The study presents a theoretical understanding of holistic social work and uses mixed methods to collect data from child welfare case workers within the vicinity of one Barnahus. The conclusion of the study is multifaceted because while the multidisciplinary approach of the Barnahus reflects the essence of a holistic approach, the specific legislation and organisation of the Barnahus represents a more reductionist perspective on social work. The main conclusion of the study is that Barnahus and the child welfare services embrace different holistic approaches to abused children.

Implementing the Nordic Barnahus Model : Characteristics and Local Adaptions

This chapter describes the background for, and implementation of, the Barnahus model within the Nordic countries. It highlights the core elements of the model and the specifics of the Nordic welfare state context relating to the child welfare and criminal justice systems. A contextual and comparative perspective is used to shed light on how the model is shaped by the legal and institutional context in which it has been implemented. Local adaptions of the Barnahus model, specific to each Nordic country, are also identified. Finally, the outline of the book, containing sixteen chapters divided into four broad themes, is presented.

Collaborating Against Child Abuse

The chapter studies how the establishment of Barnahus in Denmark in 2013 has affected the ability of child welfare case workers to work holistically with abused children. The study presents a theoretical understanding of holistic social work and uses mixed methods to collect data from child welfare case workers within the vicinity of one Barnahus. The conclusion of the study is multifaceted because while the multidisciplinary approach of the Barnahus reflects the essence of a holistic approach, the specific legislation and organisation of the Barnahus represents a more reductionist perspective on social work. The main conclusion of the study is that Barnahus and the child welfare services embrace different holistic approaches to abused children.

Epilogue: The Barnahus Model: Potentials and Challenges in the Nordic Context and Beyond

A key message from this chapter—and the book as such—is that the Nordic Barnahus model is a step in the right direction in terms of meeting victimised children’s needs and legal rights, and that it could be recommended as a promising practice for other countries. At the same time, it is not a quick fix. In light of the book contributions, this chapter discusses the potentials and challenges of the Barnahus model in the Nordic context and beyond. It highlights the importance of the Nordic welfare state context for the implementation of the model and discusses the different modes of governance that have developed around it. The chapter further describes how the implementation of the Barnahus model has led to the development of a new institutional field—the Barnahus field—and a corresponding field of multidisciplinary research.

Power Dynamics in Barnahus Collaboration

Barnahus collaboration spans different regulatory fields and brings together conflicting logics, creating an institutional tension between justice and welfare. In this chapter, collaboration in Swedish Barnahus is analysed in a critical manner, drawing on institutional theory and a three-dimensional concept of power. The complex institutional power dynamics evolving in Barnahus collaboration are illustrated, and subsequently how the tension between justice and welfare is negotiated and balanced. A central conclusion is the identified process of ‘juridification’ as an institutional power effect. Since multi-agency collaboration often exerts a cognitive power that builds on consensus, the framework presented in this chapter—revealing underlying conflicts of interests and power imbalances—is very important for understanding Barnahus collaboration, as well as other similar contexts of collaboration and integrated services.