“It’s my life they are talking about”: on children’s participation in decision-making for secure placement

In Denmark, secure institutions are the most intrusive form of out-of-home placement. This article explores how children and young people experience participating in decisions involving secure placement. The analysis draws on a qualitative study, which includes interviews with young people, their case manager and case file data. The young people have all been placed in a secure institution for either observation or on grounds of being a danger to themselves or others, typically defined as a range of behavioral problems like absconding, abuse of drugs, transactional sex and/or crime involvement. Young people’s experiences of participating in these decisions provide important insights for understanding the barriers and factors, which facilitate participation for some of the most vulnerable children and young people in the child welfare system. Drawing on a three-dimensional definition of participation inspired by Kloppenborg and Lausten, the analysis shows that young people in the ‘deep-end’ of child welfare services navigate an adult-centered system of assessment and decision-making, which curtails their possibilities to have a voice and influence decisions. The analysis contributes to a limited research field studying case work practices in relation to care orders, restrictive measures and the confinement of children and young people, where young people’s perspectives are largely missing. Their voices provide important insights for the development of a child-centered approach to service provision, that balances their right to participation, protection and care.