Before, during and after Barnahus Maria Kläfverud Kristianstad University - The Research Platform for Collaboration for Health - CYPHiSCO, Children and Young People’s Health in Society Context Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

Barnahus Collaboration between authorities Target group children suspected being victims of abuse Interrogation and support Child-friendly environment Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

Children’s encounter with authorities before, during and after Barnahus Ongoing PhD project within the larger project ”Children in Barnahus-an interdisciplinary study into the perspective of children” Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

Before, during and after Focus in this study is not only on what happens during the visit How do children understand barnahus? The material comes from one barnahus, one case. Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

Interviews Children Parents Accompanying persons: ”Security persons” Parents and ”security persons” are close to the child in the situation. They know the child and have seen the child in other situations. Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

Children, parents and security persons Not a part of the collaboration within Barnahus No or limited knowledge about Barnahus Before and after Barnahus Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

When parents are suspected… Parents should not know about the interrogation in beforehand Court appoints a lawyer (special legal guardian) who can make decisions and give consent for interrogation or physical examination The child can be interrogated without parents’ knowledge or consent The lawyer picks up the child in preschool or school Probably a new person for the child Therefore the child is followed by someone the child knows Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

Security person (trygghetsperson) Someone who knows the child e.g. teacher Supposed to provide security in this situation Follows the child to Barnahus The accompanying security persons has no obligation to follow children to Barnahus Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

Before In some cases parents follow their children to Barnahus In other cases the child or the parents do not know The child is picked up by a lawyer The security persons are told not to say anything to the child The child is told that ”someone” wants to talk to you about ”something” you said in school Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

Before example …so I said Kalle, his name is not Kalle. It is someone who wants to talk to you. And I do not know this person but I will follow you. And than I said: ’Is it ok?’ because I wanted to be kind. He did. But afterwards I thought ’why did I say so?’ what if he said no. What would I have done than? Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

Importance of accompanying security persons The accompanying security persons describe their role as important. It is important to have a relation to the child, if not the child would probably not follow. The lawyer’s private car. Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

Exampel 2 before Did the child ask any questions? SP: He did to me when we went to the car. ’Where are we going?’ ’Where are we going?’ ’Where are we going?’. But I was not allowed to say anything. But he came with me and it was no problems. M: But how did you answer it than? SP:You can follow me and so and start to talk about other things and all that. M: Mmm SP: One can think of oneself if one have been in that situation. Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

During Child-friendly environment Snacks Interrogation The accompanying persons do not know so much about what kind of information the child gets. Some children like the special attention. Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

How does the child understand the CH situation? Some descibe that they think the child understands the situation. Others are not sure. One security person describes that the child probably did not understand. Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

After The child returns to school or home. What happens? In some cases the child is told to use a (white) lie about dentist visit. In other cases the child is left alone to answer questions from other children. Other solution. What happens with the relation between the child and the accompanying person? What happens with the relation between school and the child’s family? Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

After Do not talk about it with the child or parent. Tell the parent. The child does not bring it up. Maria Kläfverud, PhD student

This is an ongoing study and more findings will be presented later…. Thank you!