“För att det är hur vår verklighet ser ut här” : En studie om landsbygdskommuners arbete med våld i nära relationer

Sammanfattning: This study examines social worker’s work with domestic violence in rural municipalities in Sweden. Domestic violence is a widespread problem that occurs everywhere in society and the social services (Socialtjänsten) have a great responsibility in supporting the victims of domestic abuse. Despite this, there is little research on the social services work with domestic violence in rural areas from a Swedish perspective. Studies shows that the context of the countryside created other conditions for both victims of domestic abuse and for the professionals who offers support. The aim of this study is to explore what the social services' work with domestic violence looks like in rural Sweden. The author has conducted a qualitative study, in which eight social workers from five different rural municipalities have been interviewed with semi-structured interviews. Through thematic analysis three themes emerged from the interviews, Closeness, Distance and Small Scale & Resources. The results have been analyzed through/with the KAIMeR theory. The results show how long distances, small population, closeness to each other within the work team, few cases, accessibility and lack of anonymity are recurring elements that shape the everyday work of social workers. The social workers ability to adapt to these rural conditions, and the supportive work from colleagues, enables them to meet the needs of victims of domestic abuse. The conclusion is that the countryside brings unique conditions for social workers and the social services work with domestic violence. Some factors that impact the work are the same as in urban areas, while other parts of the work seem uniquely shaped by the countryside as an environment. These rural conditions seem to depend on both environmental or societal factors and the author concludes that more studies are needed in the future.