Articulating violence together: depictions of violence and victimhood in therapeutic conversations with children

At this presentation, we present results from research with the aim to investigate how conversations about violence are enacted in interactions between children exposed to physical abuse and professional practitioners. Although it is clear from Swedish law that the social services should offer protection, support, and assistance to children subjected to parental physical abuse, and that interventions aimed at ending violence should be provided to abusive parents, current guidelines and policies do not specify how these objectives should be achieved. The Combined Parent – Child Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (KIBB) has, however, been highlighted as a potential approach to meet both requirements.

The target group of KIBB consists of families in which physical child abuse has occurred. The treatment follows a structured manual, is based on specific themes, and takes approximately 16 weeks to complete. Previous research has shown that children perceive KIBB as a child-centered treatment in which their needs are prioritized. However, there is no existing research that examines how the treatment is carried out and how children’s participation is expressed.

Drawing on a unique dataset consisting of authentic video-recorded treatment sessions with children and follow-up interviews with practitioners, we will demonstrate how KIBB treatment is implemented, the considerations behind the strategies practitioners employ, and how the topic of violence is manifested and made comprehensible. We will also discuss and problematize how children’s opportunities for participation are framed within a structured treatment model and how practitioners work to achieve a balance between children's involvement and manual-based working procedures.