Topic: Violence and abuse

Violence in close relations in Sami communities

Violence in close relations is a societal problem that increasingly is paid attention to both in Norway and internationally. However, there is very little research-based knowledge and systematically compiled data on violence in close relations in the Sami communities of Norway.  Commissioned by the Ministry of Justice and the Sami Parliament in Norway, NKVTS is carrying out a qualitative research project on violence in close relations in the Sami communities. The project aims at getting more information about a topic we hitherto have had little knowledge about. The project was finished by the end of 2016. The final report was launched in March 2017 and dissemination from the project continues.

 
2015 This project has been completed 2018

Project Manager

Project Members

  • Øverli, Ingvil Thallaug
  • Finstad, Ann-Kristin

Main objective

The project has partner violence as its main focus, but will also elaborate on other forms of violence in close relations/domestic violence that may have a specific meaning in a Sami context. Our starting point is a wide approach to “violence”, including physical, psychological and sexual violence.

The project has two thematic aims:

  1. To highlight societal, historical and cultural conditions (external and internal) that may have an impact on the exposure to violence in close relations in Sami communities. 
  2. To study how violence in close relations is dealt with in the Sami communities, how preventive measures and the support to victims is organised, outline possible new measures that could be developed in the field, as well as how the existing help apparatus could be strengthened.

Method

The project is qualitative and explorative. It consists of two parts: 1) an overview of research on violence in Sami communities and related fields of research; 2) an analysis of focus groups with employees in the help- and legal apparatus working with violence issues in four different regions of the Sami community in Norway. 

Publications

Øverli, I. T., Bergman, S. H., & Finstad, A. K. (2017). «Om du tør å spørre, tør folk å svare»: Hjelpeapparatets og politiets erfaringer med vold i nære relasjoner i samiske samfunn. Oslo: Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter om vold og traumatisk stress. (Rapport 2/2017).