1. The Barnahus model in the Nordic countries
Elisiv Bakketeig
PROMISE – Regional Conference and Study Visit, Linköping, November 2016

2. The Barnahus book
The aim of the book: to define and contribute to the evolving field of Barnahus research in the Nordic countries and beyond
Editors: Susanna Johansson, Kari Stefansen, Elisiv Bakketeig & Anna Kaldal
24 authors and 16 chapters covering four main themes:
Child friendliness, support and treatment
The forensic interview
The children's rights perspectives
Interagency collaboration and professional autonomy.

3. Barnehusmodels in Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark - an overview
1998
1 BH
CASES AND TARGET GROUP
COLLABORATION
REGULATION
COORDINATION
Age group
Type of abuse
Type of cases
Involved
agencies
Barnahus staff
Mandatory use
Barnahus regulation
Central co-ordination
Below 15 yrs
Sexual abuse and since 2015 also physical violence
Police reported
Child welfare cases when suspicions of abuse
Child welfare services
Medical services/health care
Police
Prosecution
Psychologists
Social worker
Criminologist
Not Barnahus explicitly, but to run and use such facilities
No specific Barnahus law, but regulative support in the Child Protection Act and the Law on Criminal Procedure
The Government Agency for Child protection
Sweden 2006
30 BH
Below 18 yrs
Sexual abuse & physical violence
FGM, witnesses of violence; crimes of honour, children who sexually abuse other children
Cases with parallel investigations by child welfare services and police and prosecutors
Health care
Forensic medicine
Social workers, psychologists and/or police at some Barnahus No
No specific Barnahus law. National guidelines and standards by the National Police Agency
Pilot: by the Ministry of Justice and an inter-agency coordination group on national level
Currently: no central coordinating agency at a state level
National Barnahus network, first coordinated by Save the Children Sweden & since 2016 by Barnafrid
Norway 2007
11 BH
Below 16 yrs and adults with intellectual impairment
Sexual abuse,
direct and indirect violence,
homicide, and gender mutilation
Police reported cases only: aggrieved parties and witnesses
Social workers and psychologists
Yes, for police and prosecutors
By law: Criminal Procedure Act and regulation on facilitated investigative interview
The Police Directorate
and state level
Barnahus committee
Denmark
2013
5 BH
(+ 3 satellites)
Sexual abuse and physical violence
Child welfare cases involving police and/or health care
Yes, for child welfare services if case involves police and/or health care
By law: The Consolidation Act on Social Services and Order on Children Houses
Quality standards by the National Board of Social Services
The National Board of Social Services
Barnehusmodels in Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark - an overview

4. Differences in target groups
Types of abuse:
from sexual abuse only to involving all criminal
acts against children
Upper age-limit: from 15 to 18
The child is the primary target in the Nordic Barnahus models. A question that is raised by one of the authors in the Barnahus book is if Barnahus to a larger degree should offer services also to the child's family

5. Implementation and regulation
Sweden, Norway and Iceland implemented Barnahus without formal regulation first.
Denmark introduced national regulations first and then implemented Barnahus simultaneous on a national level
Sweden still lack a legally binding national regulation of Barnahus

6. What is best – to implement Barnahus and than regulate or vice versa?
To answer this we need cross-national research
We can assume that regulating first:
will secure that Barnahus are used
may make it easier to achieve a more unified practice
But
Evaluations has shown that it is important that Barnahus is adapted to local needs – which may call for doing a pilot first and then regulate

7. Organisation and affiliation
Norway: Central coordination by the Police Directorate on behalf of the Ministry of Police and Public security
Sweden: No central coordination.
Denmark: Central coordination by the National Board of Services.
Iceland: Central coordination by the Government Agency for Child Protection.
The Norwegian model is more police-oriented - the others are stronger connected to the child welfare system

8. Differences in affiliation and organisation affect the focal point of collaboration in Barnahus
The key role:
of the Norwegian model: to facilitate the police investigative interview in a supportive environment
of the Swedish model: to coordinate two parallel investigations with different objectives (child welfare and law enforcement).
of the Danish model: to assist the municipalities` local child welfare services, which are the responsible and key agency in the Danish model
of the Icelandic model: to coordinate the criminal- and the child welfare investigation + a development towards increased coordination and strengthening of the role of the Barnahus staff as coordinators

9. Looking ahead – can we see som trends?
Tendencies of Barnahus branching out in terms of;
A wider responsibility (target group, treatment)
Increased number of cases, mandatory use, capacity issues
New Barnahus, larger Barnahus and satelites
Establishment beyond the Nordic context – ref. the PROMISE project

10. Conclusion
The commonalities suggest that there is basis for talking about a Nordic Barnahus model.
Tendencies of Barnahus branching out may help to improve services for children as victims of violence and abuse, but may also raise new questions that challenge the models basic idea of offering multiple services in child friendly premises and “under one roof”
Barnahus is a new field of research. To understand more of the development of the Barnahus model, national and cross-national research are needed.

11. Thank you for your attention!
Contact information:
Link to website about NOVA’s Domestic violence research programme