Gendered Approaches in Child Maltreatment Cases: Examining How Swedish Social Workers Construct Their Understanding of Female and Male Perpetrators Through Focus Group Interviews

Globally, a substantial number of children experience various forms of parental maltreatment. Child protection agencies work to support these children and prevent further abuse or neglect, often through targeted interventions directed at the parents. Previous research has indicated that social workers may approach male and female perpetrators of maltreatment differently once a case is reported. To explore this further, focus group interviews were conducted to examine how Swedish social workers discuss and identify potential differences in how they approach female versus male perpetrators of maltreatment. Twenty social workers involved in assessing or delivering interventions in child maltreatment cases across three municipalities participated in one of the four focus group interviews. Through content analysis, three key themes emerged from the discussions: the conceptions of gender, approaching females versus males differently, and to deal with gender. Participants noted that they often adhered to traditional gender norms, placing higher expectations and more responsibility on mothers than fathers. Social workers were typically more supportive of fathers taking on parenting responsibilities while expecting mothers to be equally engaged without additional encouragement. The research invitation itself was viewed as an eye-opener for participants, revealing that traditional gender roles frequently influence child protection work, even though social workers generally uphold gender equality in other areas of their lives. These findings highlight the need for greater awareness among social workers and encourage the adoption of a more egalitarian view of parenting in their work with families. Additionally, the findings emphasize the importance of addressing and preventing gender stereotypes in social work with maltreated children and their parents, particularly through supervision and quality improvement efforts. This focus should also be integrated early into social work study programs at the university or training programs for professionals.