Research project Delinquency among former clients in social child care

When a child is placed outside the home, the community takes on a significant responsibility as a substitute parent. However, Swedish and international research shows that children and young people who have been placed in social childcare do not have the same opportunities as other peers to create a good life. Among other things, the group has high excess risks for incomplete schooling, weak labor market establishment and various psychosocial problems later in life.

Placed children and young people are a heterogeneous group where some were placed early in life for reasons linked to the parents' ability to care, while others were placed during their teenage years as a result of their own risky behaviour, for example substance abuse or crime. However, the excess risks of developing various forms of social problems apply to both those placed early and long-term and those placed as teenagers. In this project, how crime develops among children and young people with experience of social child care is investigated, with a particular focus on turning points and risk factors that can be influenced through support and interventions. The intention is to provide knowledge that can be the basis for improvement initiatives for children and young people who are or have been in social childcare.