The Child Welfare Service’s Ignorance: The Use of Attachment Theory in Norwegian Child Welfare

Abstract

As studies show, families in contact with child protection services are families with many poverty issues, such as unemployment, low income, health issues, bad housing. The adverse living conditions make it often difficult to parent children. In this chapter, we have chosen to analyze an excerpt from an interview with a mother who has been deprived of custody of her child. In the interview, the mother explains how the Child Welfare Service uses attachment theory to support its assessments. By looking at how attachment theory dominates in the practice of the Child Welfare Service, risks being applied beyond how it is intended, we show how ignorance can contribute to producing, maintaining, and developing social work practice. In this way, we have tried to exemplify and make visible how practice emerges as a result of knowledge we do not have.