“Socialen ser oss som djur, såna som man sätter i bur” : En kvalitativ studie om ungdomars upplevelser av tvångsvård på SiS

Sammanfattning: Adolescents in compulsory care represent a particularly vulnerable group. The content of compulsory care and the restrictions on freedom that young people are subjected to are topics that are rarely addressed in either societal debates or within the education of social workers. The purpose of this study is to attempt to interpret and understand how compulsory care affects adolescents from a power and control perspective, in order to highlight their vulnerability. The study is based on a thematic analysis of the adolescents' own narratives in the book "Växa mot förändring," published by the National Board of Institutional Care in 2023. We have employed Goffman's theory of total institutions to analyze the adolescents' experiences of compulsory care. The results indicate that the adolescents' experiences are both negative and positive in nature. Overall, the findings suggest that the adolescents' experiences are highly negative from a power- and control perspective. Emotions such as anger and hopelessness are commonly present. Additionally, the results show that the adolescents adapt to the conditions of the institution in various ways. Several narratives contain aspects of institutionalization and a fear of coping independently. These experiences can be connected to Goffman's theory of total institutions. The results emphasize the vulnerability of the adolescents and highlight the need for their voices to be heard in order to increase knowledge in the field.