Child Welfare Institutions for Young People with Drug Addiction and Separate Institutions for One Single Young Person

The project investigate the child welfare institutions for young people with drug addiction and separate institutions for one single young person.

The Norwegian authorities seek increased knowledge regarding how such institutions can secure wellbeing, a positive result and legal rights for young people with drug addiction and young people considered to need an isolated living space safeguarded by a professional staff. Both these groups of young people are under custody of the child welfare services when such institutional measures are employed. Both kinds of institutions, but in particularly separate institutions, have been criticised for violating young people’s legal rights and for the use of unnecessary coercive measures. The study seeks understanding of for whom these two kinds of institutions are suitable and under which conditions. The study will also employ juridical analyses to investigate the legality of the use of such institutions and under which conditions they can be advisable.

To answer these questions, we will conduct surveys to managers, employees and residents of the institutions, cases studies (observations, interviews) in a limited amount of institutions, interviews with collaborators (child welfare services, medical personnel and teachers), and a documentary study.

The study is commissioned by The Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs.