Malmö Kvinnojour works actively to help the children who accompany their mother into the shelter's accommodation. Protecting children's rights is a matter of course and our duty. We meet each child as their own party, with their own needs, wishes and rights and not just as an accompaniment to their mother.
According to a study done by the government's committee against child abuse, about 10 % of all children in Sweden have ever seen their father beat their mother. According to Swedish law, these children are victims of crime.
At Malmö Kvinnojour, we consider everyone a child until they have turned eighteen, regardless of gender identity.
We have several curators at Malmö Women's Shelter who are trained in meeting children and having conversations with children who have been exposed to or have witnessed violence in a close relationship. The counselors are trained in different conversation models for children who have been subjected to violence. The conversations aim to give children the opportunity to tell about and process their experiences of violence and thereby reduce the risk of PTSD and other psychiatric problems later in life. The conversations are held in specially adapted children's conversation rooms. We also have parental support talks.
We are subject to the Social Services Act and always report if we suspect that a child is being harmed.