This empirical article is based on a study of stigmatization of girls formerly associated with armed forces and groups (AFG) in the eastern Congo, and presents a detailed description of how these girls are perceived when returning home. The study reveals that the society views with suspicion those who are or have been part of an armed force or group. People believe that girls having been with an armed group will attract male soldiers to their villages, they are perceived as violent, thieves, promiscuous, and carriers of transmittable diseases, and they are thought to have a bad influence on the behaviour of their peers. These fears and prejudices are translated into stigmatizing behaviour such as name-calling, rejection, social exclusion, and discriminating treatment. Women are identified as those most actively involved in the stigmatization. The stigmatization the girls formerly associated with AFG experience hampers their reintegration process, and can be likened to a second traumatisation. In its discussion the article identifies some important factors impacting on the degree of stigmatization, and distinguishes between two categories: (1) pre-return factors; and (2) post-return factors that may reinforce or reduce the stigmatization. The evidence in this study supports the view that stigmatization is prevalent and poses a major challenge to the reintegration process of girls formerly associated with AFG. The article concludes that the more empowered and financially independent these girls become the less problems and stigmatization they will face

The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons for unintended placement disruptions in foster care. Based on a semistructured survey, the paper presents the views of 132 Norwegian foster parents who have experienced placement disruption between 2013 and 2015. Foster parents rated several relevant causes of placement disruption: the child's behaviour, the need for care, concern for the well-being of their biological children, and lack of support from the Child Welfare Service (CWS).Although the child's behaviour was the cause most frequently reported in the quantitative data, CWS-related factors such as poor collaboration, not being valued and listened to, insufficient support and follow-up, and a mismatch between the child's needs and the foster carers' capacity were reported most frequently in the qualitative data. Placement disruption appears to be caused by the sum and interaction of several coexisting causes. It may not be the child's behaviour per se but rather the combination of challenging behaviour, concern for one's biological children, and insufficient support from CWS that lead to disruption. Good collaboration with the CWS in the form of respect, recognition, support, and follow-up appears to be of the utmost importance in reducing the risk of placement disruption. KEYWORDS biological children, child welfare, externalizing behaviour, follow-up and support, foster care, placement disruption | BACKGROUNDThe Norwegian CWS is embedded in a welfare state model that provides numerous universal welfare services to its citizens. Within this welfare state model, the CWS is responsible for services to particularly vulnerable children and their families. The Norwegian child welfare system is both a child-focused and a family service system

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The article focuses on the social dimension of child soldier reintegration. It draws on an empirical qualitative study on former girl soldiers in eastern Congo, and examines how former girl soldiers fare with regard to social acceptance and re-inclusion into their families and communities. The article presents empirical data revealing that the girls experience social exclusion, stigmatisation and non-acceptance both within their families and within the wider community. It may, therefore, be argued that there is a superficial (physical) co-existence rather than a genuine social inclusion of girls returning home from armed forces or groups. The article's discussion draws attention to the weighting of the different dimensions of reintegration (social, economic, psychological) and argues that the social dimension, although receiving less attention in programming, should be what comes first in order to fulfil former child soldiers' right to reintegration.

Child welfare removals of children are among the most invasive decisions a state can make toward its citizens, and typically it is the courts that make these decisions. These interventions are regularly exposed to criticism. In this paper, we examine if and how care order proceedings could be improved in England, Finland, Norway, and California, USA. We have asked the judiciary decision‐makers about their view on what should be improved. Our findings show that the organization of the proceedings, including time and staff, are identified as issues in all four systems. Furthermore, the preparations by the child welfare agency are also mentioned as an issue, for English, Finnish, and Californian decision‐makers. Very few decision‐makers indicate features related to the individual, situational, and contextual dimensions, which is interesting since this would be expected from organization theory. The strong call for change in the way proceedings are organized indicates a need for modernization as well as better use of available competency from child development experts. The respondents focus on the elements that a decision‐maker has direct experience with and knowledge about, and this is indeed worth noting for policymakers in the four systems.

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