– Only half receive the help they require

What do you consider the most important finding in the study?

The most prominent finding is that only half of the children and young people feel they receive the help they need. A possible explanation for this may be insufficient interaction between the various support services. In NOU 2017, Svikt og Svik (Failure and Betrayal), it became clear that a lack of cooperation and interaction between services meant that children did not receive help early enough, or at all. This study shows that this is still the case. Eight years later, we find that satisfaction with the services remains low. This is largely due to poor coordination between actors, rather than the quality of a single service. This applied to all participants in the study, regardless of gender, age, or the types of violence and abuse they had experienced.

What was the motivation for this study?

Previous research has shown that children and young people who have been exposed to violence and abuse often require long-term follow-up. One reason for this is that violence and abuse can result in, for example, poorer health or greater difficulties in managing daily life. Although we know that follow-up is so important, we still know relatively little about whether these children and young people receive the help they actually need. We felt this was important to investigate further.

What is the relevance of these findings? How can they be used?

The findings underscore the need to improve interaction between various support services to ensure that children and young people receive more comprehensive help and support. The study shows that those who receive the least follow-up are also the least satisfied, suggesting that long-term and stable follow-up is crucial.

Were there any findings that surprised you?

Yes, perhaps the most surprising finding was that half of the children and young people do not receive the help they feel they need, despite almost all having been in contact with support services. This demonstrates that availability alone is not enough – it is the quality and coordination of the help that determines whether children perceive it as useful.

What is your advice to professionals working with children and young people exposed to violence and abuse?

The most important thing is to facilitate individually tailored help for children and young people exposed to violence and abuse when they need it. Some will quickly need to talk about what has happened, while others may need more time before they are ready to address their experiences. Additionally, arrangements should be made for children to have a consistent contact person over time, so they do not have to deal with constantly new individuals within the system.

Read more about the study here.