Young LGBT+ people in state care

Compared to their same-aged peers, young people in state care constitutes a vulnerable group with poor somatic, mental, and sexual health and unmet health needs in all these areas.

Young lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are overrepresented in various forms of state care, and LGBT youth, non-binary young people included, are vulnerable groups in relation to the fulfilment of their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). This points at a need to explore SRHR affirmative social work with LGBTQ+ people in state care in Sweden.

The aim is therefore to explore to what extent, and how, young LGBTQ+ people in state care get their sexual rights fulfilled in contact with social services and state care providers.

In three sub-studies, three overarching research questions will be applied: 1) In a document analysis we will explore how social work for LGBTQ+ youth in state care is described in policy documents within social services and state care; 2) In an interview study with 15 social workers and 15 private and state-run care providers we will investigate how they describe their  work with the target group, and; 3) In an interview study with 20 LGBTQ+ youth aged 15 to 25 that have previous experiences of state care, we will explore how they describe their encounters with social workers and state care providers.

Within this explorative and flexible design, the results will be analysed using theories on youth, gender, sexuality, and marketization. The proposed project will explore SRHR affirmative social work for LGBTQ+ youth in state care in Sweden.

Consequently, it enables deep and nuanced understanding of how social work for young LGBTQ+ people in state care is performed and perceived.

Our ambition is to gain knowledge that can shed light on adversities faced by vulnerable groups, but more importantly to identify what possibilities for change or good examples that can be detected, described, and spread.