Man kan inte rädda alla - Socialarbetares erfarenheter av att arbeta med barn och unga som blivit utsatta för sexuellt våld

Sammanfattning: Background: Many children and youths are exposed to sexual violence. Sexual violence is being normalized and few seek help. Furthermore, exposure to sexual violence can lead to several psychosocial issues. Aim: The purpose of the thesis is to examine the social workers' experiences of working with children and youths who have been subjected to sexual violence. Method: A qualitative literature study has been conducted to create an overview of existing research material in the field. Result: The findings of this study has been developed into five themes: difficulties with the system, interaction with children, lack of knowledge, emotional stress and supervision and support. The findings conclude that social workers in the field of sexual violence struggle in cooperating with other authorities, and with not having enough knowledge about the field for being able to give the best help. According to the social workers’ experience they needed a lot of support and supervision from colleagues and superiors to be able to cope with high workloads and the emotional stress that follows being exposed to traumatic stories of their clients. These themes are discussed and understood in relation to three theories: secondary trauma, cognitive dissonance, and discretion.