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Abstract

Children who live with or witness domestic violence are a vulnerable group that is difficult for society to identify and help. The children who live in these conditions can develop psychological consequences which they can carry with them for large parts of their lives. The purpose of this research was to study what professional social workers perceive as significant support for children who have witnessed domestic violence. In our research report, parental role, the first meeting with the children and the development are aspects that are highlighted for the children to receive the right support they need. Society's role to intervene, support and care for children has also been highlighted as crucial points in order for the children to receive the right support. Although this is a more difficult approach since witnessing domestic violence often is a hidden social problem, it is also accentuated that cooperation and care from everyone is important to maintain and protect children's rights. The questions that the research is based upon concern how professional social workers work with children, what obstacles and difficulties exist in the line of work, what is considered good support in working with children who and what professional social workers feel needs to be developed when it comes to support measures for children who have witnessed domestic violence. Four semi structured interviews were conducted with four different social workers with vast experience within the field. The answers we got from the interviews were analyzed via a thematical analysis. The result accentuated how different children are and how they react differently to witnessing domestic violence. The result also showed how important knowledge is in this line of work. The result also showed that social workers thought the support that is given is good but there is room for improvement and development to make the support for kids even better.