Swedish media discourses about child sexual abuse in preschools: the best interest of the child and continued trust in male teachers

Abstract

The framing of news promotes certain interpretations. The representation of a problem in public media thereby affects the idea of what to do about that problem. This article analyses discourses about child sexual abuse (CSA) in preschools, occurring in Swedish printed media 2014–2015, and interprets the effects that the discourses may have on the social practices. ‘The discourse of the best interest of the child and preschool as a good place’ and ‘the discourse of equality as an ideal’ dominate the material, although narratives describe CSA. Solutions to limiting CSA are discussed only rarely.