Social services discretion regarding honour-related violence, with a focus on boys

The honour-related violence and opression got more attention in the years 1999 and 2002, when two young women were murdered in the name of honour in Sweden. Honour-related violence is associated with a so called honour culture, which for many symbolize the oppression of a women. It is a fact that not only girls and women are victims of this culture but also many young men and boys are exposed. The aim of this study is to illustrate how individual social workers handle cases where boys and young men are exposed to violence and oppression on the basis of the theory of discretion. In this study a qualitative research strategy has been used which involves the implementation of semi-structured interviews in the collection of empirical data. This is because I am interested in social workers own experiences and perceptions but also for having my researched questions being answered. The results show that in all five communities there are no local guidelines or plan to work for an effective management of honour-related cases