スウェーデンにおける家族援助の実態と課題 : 児童虐待への対応に焦点を当てて

Abstract

his study aims at describing and reviewing what kinds of social services and assistances are provided for abused children in Sweden. In the private sector, Children's Rights in Society (Barnens Ratt I Samhallet, BRIS) is a non-political and self-supporting organization for protecting children from any kinds of abuse. They listen on the Children's Help Line and e-mail and, if found necessary and agreed upon with the child, the case is forwarded to the proper public authorities. In the public sector, the Children's Ombudsperson is an appointed officer of the Swedish national government who submits bills for legislative reform and promotes the application of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child in the work of public agencies. Under the Social Service Act, municipal social welfare committees provide a diversity of care services such as 'contact person' , 'contact family', 'foster care', 'in-home parental training', and 'priority for child care'. By providing various forms of public assistance, social welfare committees support parents as far as possible to discharge their parental responsibilities. It is remarkable that public authorities work against children's maltreatment in cooperation with private organization. The Swedish way of supporting families for future reunification may provide a model for Japan to use in dealing with cases of child abuse.