Institutional, humane, therapeutic: Towards an understanding of caregiver violence through third sector violence prevention discourse in Finland

Abstract

Violence in family caregiving, once a social taboo, is now emerging as a topic of scientific inquiry. Engaging with a non-normative approach to care and critical reflection on research of abusive caregiver behaviour and elder abuse, this study argues that as caregiver violence is increasingly addressed in research, it is crucial to understand it as a complex issue within its social context. The study adds to this understanding by conducting a discourse analysis of violence prevention programmes in Finland, where third sector organisations have taken the initiative in addressing caregiver violence. Based on analysis of project materials, media texts and expert interviews related to two such violence prevention programmes, the study illuminates how caregiver violence is made intelligible through a combination of three kinds of understanding: institutional, humane and therapeutic. It is suggested that these understandings offer a way forward in thinking about the complex, sensitive topic of caregiver violence in sociological research on care.