Professionals’ critical positionings of women as help-seekers: Finnish women’s narratives of help-seeking during post-separation stalking

Abstract

The study explores how women victims of post-separation stalking perceive the positions ascribed to them in the help-seeking process by social workers and other professionals. Applying positioning theory, the research identifies 'critical' positionings, namely, those hindering the women in seeking help. The ultimate aim of the inquiry is to inform professional practices by identifying how professionals position victims of stalking and the risks of misinterpretation this process entails. The data comprise narratives of 15 Finnish female victims of stalking, who were interviewed either individually or together with a professional (social worker, shelter worker or therapist) who had worked with them. A total of five such professionals participated in conducting the interviews. The analysis of the women's perceptions posits four critical positionings: Professionals viewed them as (1) alienating parents, (2) unprotective mothers, (3) overcautious women and/or (4) implausible victims. These determinations are seen as rooted in considerations of morality, accountability, rationality and agency. The findings indicate that the complex nature of stalking, women's reactions to it and the ambivalent appearance of their strategies for dealing with stalking may pose obstacles to professionals in positioning them as help-seekers. This in turn may hinder women in their efforts to receive adequate help or even victimise them further. The study highlights that client-professional interaction in the context of post-separation stalking needs to be more victim-sensitive. It suggests that when analysing women's situations and providing help, professionals should be more mindful of women's own understandings and valorise their sensitive experiences.

Towards understanding the Nordic paradox: A review of qualitative interview studies on intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in Sweden

“…With reference to Kandaswamy's () metaphor of abused women in need of welfare having to trade in a man (i.e., an individual) for “the man” (i.e., an institution), Ulmestig and Panican () point to parallels between women's descriptions of IPVAW and their feelings of being economically controlled by social workers. Similar descriptions appear in studies relating experiences of revictimization by legal, health care, or social welfare system (e.g., Häggblom & Möller, ; Hellgren et al, ; Nikupeteri, ; Örmon & Hörberg, ; Pratt‐Eriksson et al, ), or of such institutions being felt to do the perpetrator's bidding (Bruno, ; Eriksson & Ulmestig, ; Jarnkvist, ; Jarnkvist & Brännström, ). Women's experiences of the legal system, for example, have been described as having beaten again (Brännvall, ) or as a new assault (Pratt‐Eriksson et al, ).…”

“…Similar descriptions appear in studies relating experiences of revictimization by legal, health care, or social welfare system (e.g., Häggblom & Möller, 2007;Hellgren et al, 2015;Nikupeteri, 2016;Örmon & Hörberg, 2016;Pratt-Eriksson et al, 2014), or of such institutions being felt to do the perpetrator's bidding (Bruno, 2018;Jarnkvist, 2015;Jarnkvist & Brännström, 2016b). Women's experiences of the legal system, for example, have been described as having beaten again (Brännvall, 2016) or as a new assault (Pratt- Eriksson et al, 2014).…”

“…These include women's experiences of violence (Almqvist & Broberg, ; Bergman, ; Bruno, ; Enander, , , , ; Eriksson & Ulmestig, ; Flinck, Paavilainen, & Astedt‐Kurki, ; Häggblom & Möller, ; Hydén, , , ; Jarnkvist & Brännström, ; Römpötti, ; Scheffer Lindgren & Renck, ), of violence during pregnancy (Edin, Dahlgren, Lalos, & Högberg, ; Edin & Högberg, ; Edin & Nilsson, ; Engnes & Lundgren, ; Finnbogadóttir, Dykes, & Wann‐Hansson, ) and motherhood (Almqvist & Broberg, ; Georgsson et al, ), and of leaving violent relationships (Enander, ; Enander & Holmberg, ; Häggblom & Möller, ; Holmberg & Enander, ; Hydén, , ; Hydén, ; Jarnkvist, ; Münger, ; Scheffer Lindgren & Renck, ). Studies have investigated women's experiences with the judicial (Agevall, ; BRÅ, ; Brännvall, ; Bruno, ; Ekström, ; Green, ; Jarnkvist, ; Jarnkvist & Brännström, ), social service (Eriksson & Ulmestig, ; Jarnkvist & Brännström, ; Nikupeteri, ; Ulmestig & Panican, ) and health care systems (Garnweidner‐Holme, Lukasse, Solheim, & Henriksen, ; Gillå et al, ; Häggblom & Möller, ; Leppakoski, Paavilainen, & Astedt‐Kurki, ; Mørk, Andersen, & Taket, ; Örmon & Hörberg, ; Örmon, Torstensson Levander, Sunnqvist, & Bahtsevani, ; Pratt‐Eriksson, Bergbom, & Lyckhage, ). The impact of IPVAW on the health (Örmon, Torstensson Levander, Sunnqvist, & Bahtsevani, ; Scheffer Lindgren & Renck, ), economy (Eriksson & Ulm...…”

“…Within the Swedish judicial system, while government propositions and legal texts reflect a gender perspective (Prop, 1997:55), this appears to not always be mirrored in the practices and assumptions of professionals. While gender perspectives have been present among prosecutors (Törnqvist, 2017) and police (Weinehall, 2011), the individual characteristics and dispositions of persons involved have been of importance not only to professionals' explanations of violence (Eriksson, 1995;Weinehall, 2011) but also to the victims' chances of gaining the judicial system's support (Agevall, 2012;Augustsson & Kuno, 2006;Brännvall, 2016;Eriksson, 1995;Jarnkvist & Brännström, 2016b;Lundberg, 2001;Nikupeteri, 2016), which in turn may affect the continuation or ceasing of IPVAW (Brännvall, 2016;Nikupeteri, 2016). Individualization of the problem, through focus on the woman's behavior, here aligns with placing responsibility on the victim (BRÅ, 2010;Ekström, 2011;Eriksson, 1995).…”

“…IPVAW victimhood is further complicated by women's experiences of failing to receive legal support or redress because they did not fit the image of the battered woman (Nikupeteri, 2016), due to being confident, well-dressed, married to a wealthy partner (Jarnkvist, 2015), or not being sufficiently innocent due to resistance, substance abuse, or socioeconomic vulnerability Münger, 2009). Women who act in accordance with the helpless ideal victim have had better chances in legal proceedings (Lundberg, 2001), while women who show agency and initiative risk having their victim status undone (Agevall, 2012;Brännvall, 2016;Eriksson, 1995).…”