Möten som förändrar : En narrativ studie om fem kvinnojoursanställdas upplevelser av att ta del av kvinnors våldserfarenheter

This study is based on narrative interviews with five women´s shelter workers. The purpose of the study is to examine how the shelter workers are affected by on a daily basis meeting women who have suffered violence in intimate relationships. Initially I was interested to find out how the shelter workers are affected by listening to the women's stories of violence, but the focus changed in meeting with the participants when I realized that it isn't just the stories of violence that affects them. What they mainly talked about was how they were affected by the vulnerable situation the women find themselves in as a result of violence and society's inability to give the women the protection and support they need to build a new life. The result shows that the shelter workers become emotionally affected when they see, feel and hear about the vulnerability of women and that they act out the anxiety and helplessness they feel by exceeding the limits of their mandate and taking on the role as ´saviour´. The results further show that the daily contact with abused women can lead to that they become dulled and develop a negative view of society.