Young people in limbo: perceptions of self-presentations when being assessed in secure accommodation

“If you don’t behave, you’re in real shit, you don’t get outside the doors”—a phenomenological hermeneutic study of adolescents’ lived experiences of the socio-spatial environment of involuntary institutional care

“…Similarly, Foucault states that power is dependent on and closely connected with spatial aspects, which affect social roles through invisible borders (Foucault, 1982). Using Goffman's concept of self-presentation (Goffman, 1982), Enell described how adolescents in assessment situations at special youth homes often felt that they had no control over their self-presentations (Enell, 2015). This will be accentuated by the environmental setting through coercion and the locked units, resulting in the adolescents not recognizing themselves.…”

“…This will be accentuated by the environmental setting through coercion and the locked units, resulting in the adolescents not recognizing themselves. The adolescents often found that they were required to accept other's perceptions of them as "troubled children" in a setting where "words had less impact than actions" (Enell, 2016, p. 28) (Enell, 2015). Similarly Holstein (2014), writes about "the system" (an analogy for the various societal institutions) that is everywhere and nowhere, a device that clients in social services meet and try to influence.…”

“…However, it also appears that the adolescents attempt to preserve their self and make sense of their life narratives by trying to take control of spatial aspects of their everyday life. In a controlling environment that lacks trustful relationships, this becomes a way to create a safe space for oneself as well as a space to help each other and escape the constant gaze of surveillance and assessment (Enell, 2015;Enell, Gruber, & Andersson Vogel, 2018). More often, however, resistance appears to be interpreted as evidence of problematic behaviour rather than a rational response to a perceived injustice-an act of resistance induced by the very power they are subject to (Foucault, 1982).…”

“…More often, however, resistance appears to be interpreted as evidence of problematic behaviour rather than a rational response to a perceived injustice-an act of resistance induced by the very power they are subject to (Foucault, 1982). This appears as a circular process, whereby the system risks reacting with solutions to the (perceived) problem (resistance), and thus once again determining the adolescents as problematic (Emerson & Messinger, 1977;Enell, 2015). The institution's external spatial boundaries may be clearly visible.…”

Handling fear among staff: violence and emotion in secure units for adolescents

“…One exception is Svedin (2011), who concludes that youth in secure units do risk exposure to violence by staff. The relationship between staff and youth has also frequently been addressed (Enell 2016;Degner et al 2015;Andersson and Johansson 2008;Johansson and Andersson 2006). Hill's (2005) dissertation proposes a division between staff members into those who take an authoritarian, pedagogical approach and those who focus on their relationship with youth.…”