Children in compulsory care in the long run

Research questionThe study is based on a unique data material with extensive information about young people who have been subject to compulsory care.

The aim  is to follow up all young people who were taken into care due to their own behavioural problems (§ 3 LVU) during 2015–2016 in order to investigate their life situation in young adulthood, in terms of factors such as education/work, housing and livelihood, as well as various forms of psychosocial problems such as crime, substance abuse and mental illness.

What does the life situation of young adults look like 8–9-years after being taken into compulsory care?Does the situation at follow-up differ depending on the depiction of problems related to their compulsory care and on gender, socioeconomic background and origin?How does the life situation of the group of young adults who were taken into compulsory care as children differ from the situation of other peers?Do siblings of the young people who have not themselves been in compulsory care fare better?What role does locked institutional care play for the young adults´ life situation compared to those who have not been placed in secure care?

Data and methodThe study is a follow-up to a previous study in which extensive information about the young people´s problems and reasons for taking them into care was collected from court orders and files, as well as from SiS and SCB.

This follow-up study will be a registry study where the young people are followed up in young adulthood in several registers (SCB, National Board of Health and Welfare, Brå).

Societal relevance and utilisationCompulsory care is the most intrusive measure society has when it comes to children with psychosocial problems, and it is a measure associated with great risks.

The study contributes with knowledge about young adulthood for those previolusly in compulsory care, and about differences between groups in terms of, for example, gender, problems and type of out-of-home care. The study design creates conditions for a better understanding of factors behind both negative and positive outcomes.

This knowledge can help to develop better interventions.

That coercive measures are carried out right is of great importance to young people as well as for heir families and society in general. ImplementationThe project will run for three years.

Both researchers has extensive knowledge of young people in compulsory care as well as extensive previous experience of large registry studies.