När pojkar betraktas som män
en kvantitativ och kvalitativ studie om åldersgräns för tonårspojkar på Sveriges kvinnojourer
Women?s shelterWomen?s refugeChildrenTeenage boysAge cut-offSocial constructivismSocial constructionismKvinnojourSkyddat boendeBarn på kvinnojourTonårspojkarÅldersgränsSocialkonstruktivismSocialkonstruktionism
This paper aimed to investigate to what extent there is an age cut-off for teenage boys in the women?s shelters of Sweden and how a possible cut-off is described and maintained. This occurrence has not been investigated earlier to a large extent, which emphasizes the importance of this paper. A mixed strategy was used to cover both the frequency as well as the explanations to the age cut-off. The quantitative survey was sent to all women?s shelters in Sweden and the result showed that 56 % of the shelters had an age cut-off for teenage boys from 12 years of age and above. Qualitative interviews were conducted with six women?s shelters in Stockholm to examine how the notion teenage boys was constructed and used by the respondents to deny them refuge together with their mothers. The teenage boys were described as young men, aggressive and in the same time need of support, which all had the consequence that they could not stay at the shelters with collective housing. The age cut-off was neither discussed nor questioned by the members of the women?s shelters and was upheld by its legitimation. From a social constructive perspective the women?s shelters could be understood as institutionalized.