This project investigates how support services understand and handle cases involving conflict/violence after separation, as well as what is often referred to as honour-related violence and negative social control. It also explores the experiences of children and parents in their interactions with these services.
Researchers at NOVA will carry out the project in collaboration with researchers from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, the University of Stavanger, the University of Bergen, and VID Specialized University, Stavanger campus.
The project consists of two sub-projects:
Subproject 1: High Conflict and Violence After Separation (2025–2028)
The project investigates the work of child welfare services, family counselling services, and crisis centers in cases involving high conflict and/or violence following separation. One of the topics to be examined is how these services understand and differentiate between conflict and violence cases. A key task is to gather experiences and perspectives from children and parents regarding the services' work.
The project uses a qualitative research design, emphasizing individual interviews and group interviews.
The research team in Subproject 1 consists of Bredal (project leader, NOVA), Bakketeig (NOVA), and Heggdalsvik (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences).
The results will be presented in a NOVA report, and preliminary findings will be shared at a mid-project seminar.
Sub-project 2: Child Welfare Services and their Work Control and Honour-Related Violence
In the past 20 years, there has been increasing attention on children and youth exposed to what is often referred to as honour-related violence and negative social control.
However, there is still limited knowledge about the child welfare services' understanding and handling of this area, as well as the experiences of children/youth and parents with child welfare services in such cases.
This subproject aims to fill these knowledge gaps using various types of qualitative data:
- User study (interviews with children/youth and parents)
- Service study (interviews with employees in child welfare services and participation in case discussion meetings)
- Document study (review of decisions by the Child Welfare Tribunal).
The research team in subproject 2 consists of Aarset (project manager, NOVA), Smette (NOVA), Skiple (NOVA), Handulle (University of Stavanger), Tembo-Pankuku (VID Specialized University, Stavanger campus) and Fylkesnes (University of Bergen).
The results from sub-project 2 will be presented in a NOVA report.
