Knogar, Krogar och Kokain : En granskning av rådande diskurser kring situationen för våldsutsatta kvinnor med missbruks- eller beroendeproblematik i utbildningsmaterial och handböcker

Intimate partner violence is the most common type of violence against women, and is a problem for women of all ages, backgrounds, social classes, religions and preconditions. This study analyses the language and discourses used in a selection of Swedish educational material and guides for social workers regarding intimate partner violence against women in substance abuse or addiction. Through a critical discourse analysis of the materials, six prevailing discourses portraying the situation these women are subject to became evident. These were separated into two themes: (1) explanations of the occurrence and continuation of violence, and (2) the woman’s own experience of the situations of violence. Taken together, these discourses suggests that the situation faced by women with substance use problems that fall victim to intimate partner violence is highly complex and inextricable. Furthermore, this portrayal results in these women being viewed as unaidable by interventions available to contemporary Swedish social workers. Conclusively, this study finds that women with substance use problems that are subjects of intimate partner violence often are described as themselves being responsible for their continued exposure to this violence. In this they are also excluded from the identity of an “ideal” victim of crime. Finally, our study empathises the importance of Swedish educational material and guides presenting a broader perspective regarding these women