"När det kommer fram så tänker man "oj liksom, det har varit ganska osynligt det här barnet". Skolkuratorers beskrivningar av att arbeta med barn som utsätts för våld i hemmet

Sammanfattning: This study aimed to examine how school counselors work with children who experience domestic violence, as well as which challenges they face in their work with this group. The study is based on six qualitative interviews with school counselors who all have experience working with children exposed to domestic violence. The interviews were analyzed using two sociological theories: Goffman's dramaturgical perspective and Hochschild's emotion theory. Our results show that school counselors primarily become aware of domestic violence through school teachers, who play the most important role in detecting the occurrence of violence. Our interviewees stated that school counselors feel comfortable with how to act if they find out that violence is occurring in the child's home. Good communication skills and the ability to listen to the affected child are emphasized as important aspects of establishing trust with the child. Several challenges are highlighted by the school counselors. One challenge facing school counselors is that they perceive the resources at the school as insufficient to help children who are exposed to domestic violence. Furthermore, cooperation with professionals outside the school is described as difficult due to poor communication and limited collaborating outside professions. Finally, our study highlights the importance of a functioning collaboration between the school and other professions for the school counselor to be able to work effectively with children who are exposed to domestic violence.