"Spindeln i nätet" : En kvalitativ studie om samverkan i relationsvåldsärenden

Sammanfattning: Men's violence against women is a serious violation of human rights. Women are far more likely to experience violent acts or abuse by someone close to them rather than by strangers. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex problem and victims are often in need of support by social services as well as by other professionals. The aim of this study is to examine how social service employees perceive the cooperation with other professionals within the area of IPV. The study is based on six qualitative interviews with 10 social service employees, working with IPV, from a selection of districts and municipalities within Stockholm County. Our results were analyzed by using Axelsson and Bihari Axelsson’s (2013) theories of cooperation. The results show that cooperation is seen as a highly valued and inevitable part of social work within the area of IPV and the responsibility for managing IPV cases are often left to the social service employees to be handled alone. Meanwhile, the social service employees describe insufficient time and not enough staff as evident restrictions for successful cooperation with other professionals. In conclusion, IPV needs to be prioritized on all levels within the organization to improve the possibilities for cooperation.