Självbildens konstruktion - En kvalitativ studie om våldsutsatta barn i nära relationer

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this research has been to examine how experience of domestic violence during the childhood is expressed to the public, and what kind of self-image this description conveys. We chose to perform this research with a hermeneutical content analysis method, as this allows us to use texts written by people with experience of violence during their childhood. To perform this research we have taken excerpts from books describing peoples experiences during childhood, and also blog entries and forum posts describing these experiences has been selected, based on how closely related the described experiences can be connected to domestic violence and description of one self. When looking at these texts of different origin, length and content with a symbolic interactionistic perspective we found that indeed does the social surroundings have a great effect on the child and the view the child has of itself during childhood. The shorter texts, the forum posts in particular, creates a self-image closely connected to the experienced violence, as if these experiences are what defines them as persons. In the longer texts, like the books, the experienced violence was described only as one part of themselves, and the importance of letting yourself forgive but not forget in order to move on with life. We also found the image portraying the victim and abuser as opposites to be problematic in this instance in difference from when it’s done in media. This is because in these cases it’s about domestic violence, and the victims does in some cases want to continue having a relationship with the perpetrator despite the violence they have witnessed.