Support or Betrayal? Swedish Survivors’ Experiences of Support From Social Workers During Post-Separation Violence

Abstract

The aim of this study is to shed light on how Swedish female survivors of male intimate partner violence experience support from social workers during post-separation violence. This is explored through an interview study with sixteen survivors. Hester’s three planet model is utilized in the analysis. The results show that while the survivors described positive experiences of support from social workers on the Domestic violence planet, they felt social workers in the family law system on the Child contact planet enabled post-separation violence, and reported that this contributed to them feeling betrayed rather than supported.