Children’s routes to participation in support groups

Motives, Barriers, and Benefits From Children’s and Parent’s Perspectives

Bibliographic Data

ID6423731
AuthorsMaria Svensson (0000-0002-1331-0898, Lund University, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume28
Issue3
Pages457-469
Publication date2024-09-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal of Social Work (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1369-1457 • E-ISSN: 1468-2664
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13691457.2024.2405846
OpenAlexW4402908150
LanguageEN
References cited23

In Sweden, preventive support groups for children exposed to domestic violence, substance abuse, or mental illness in the home are provided by local child welfare services. The stigma associated with parental problems and the involvement of child welfare services are barriers to children’s participation in support groups. This article examines the motives, barriers, and benefits according to children and parents by exploring children’s routes into such support groups. The analysis uses individual interviews with children with recent experience of support groups and their parents, guided by health belief and help-seeking models. The results show that children’s routes into child welfare services’ support groups depend on their parent’s motives and help-seeking actions and are linked to access to the broader support system. There are perceived barriers to participation such as stigma and the unwanted involvement from child welfare services, but there are also perceived benefits to be gained from talking to others and sharing experiences. The need to reframe our understanding of people’s engagement in preventive interventions in the context of child and family social work is examined

Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child Welfare and Adoption · Family and Disability Support Research · Law · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Work

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