Working with Mentors in Violence Prevention: The experiences and understandings of professionals

University essay from Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för socialt arbete

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and analyse the understanding the professionals’, who work with youth at one of the schools where Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) was implemented, have of their work. Particular emphasis was made on the professionals’ own positioning in relation to the gender theoretical starting points and structural perspective of the MVP-programme. Based on the increase in violence in Swedish society today, the overall objective was to problematize the work done with MVP in an effort to develop the violence prevention work. The analysed material consisted of four in-depth semi-structured interviews that were conducted with professionals that work with MVP, and observations. To analyse, a theoretical framework was designed that was comprised of Connell’s theory on masculinity concerning hegemonic masculinity, Butler’s theory on gender concerning social norms, and lastly bridging and bonding aspects of social capital. The findings indicate that the context of the municipality poses its challenges regarding the work with violence prevention with the identification of various factors such as the family and gang affiliations being counterproductive. While MVP has successfully been anchored in the school, which is a prerequisite for the support required to go against an existing hegemonic masculinity, the mentor and mentee pedagogical model of MVP as an approach is distrusted by the majority of the professionals. The training for professionals that work with MVP span two days, which means that their understanding of the gender theoretical starting points and the structural perspective of the MVP-programme is heavily dependent on their previous knowledge. The short training for professionals was reflected in the professionals’ tendency to speak in individualising terms and not being cognizant of how different social structures intersect. The research concludes that knowledge-raising for the professionals who work with MVP have not been done in the extent needed.

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