The Nordic Barnahus model examined in new book

First implemented in the Nordic countries and now spreading across Europe, the core mission of the Barnahus model is to offer children who are victims or witnesses of crime the support, protection, rehabilitation, and access to justice they need, in a child-friendly environment. This multidisciplinary approach includes psychological treatment, child protection services, and forensic interviews conducted in settings designed to minimize additional trauma for the child. By bringing together law enforcement, child protective services, medical professionals, and mental health experts, Barnahus provides a holistic approach to addressing the needs and rights of abused children.  

The new book Justice and Recovery for Victimised Children: Institutional Tensions in Nordic and European Barnahus Models examines the Barnahus model, from an institutional perspective, focussing on both the promise and the challenges of the model in providing justice and welfare to victimised children. 

Successful across the Nordics 

The establishment of Barnahus in the Nordic countries is considered one of the most important policy initiatives for child victims of crime in the region. The Barnahus model has been successfully adapted and implemented across the Nordic countries, with each country tailoring the approach to fit its specific legal and child protection framework. The consistent theme across all Nordic Barnahus centers is the emphasis on child-friendly environments, multidisciplinary collaboration, and comprehensive support for child victims of crime. This innovative approach has set a benchmark in child protection and continues to evolve, providing invaluable services to vulnerable children throughout the region. 

Tensions within the model 

However, there are considerable differences of opinion regarding the concept of justice within the multi-disciplinary systems involved in the Barnahus model.  

The book examines various forms of institutional tension, including legal, organisational, and professional-ethical. The last section considers how these tensions can be reconciled. The book’s authors provide an analysis of this new phase in the spread of the Barnahus model and offer insights into its potential applications. The analyses can inform countries considering implementing the model or already engaged in its implementation. 

The book is aimed at academics, policy makers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), social workers, psychologists, police,  prosecutors and  medical examinators. It is an open access book, which means that readers have free and unlimited access.  

Iceland: A pioneer of Barnahus 

Iceland was the first Nordic country to implement the Barnahus model, establishing the initial Children’s House in Reykjavik in 1998. This pioneering initiative was designed to address the needs of children suspected of being victims of sexual abuse, providing a child-friendly environment where multiple services could be offered under one roof. Over time, Iceland expanded the scope of Barnahus to include children who had experienced physical and psychological violence. The Icelandic model has been instrumental in setting standards for child-friendly forensic interviews and has influenced the establishment of similar centres across the Nordic region. 

The value of Nordic collaboration 

– The Nordic Barnahus model provides an excellent example of the value of Nordic collaboration in knowledge-based care and services for children and families, says Jenný Ingudóttir, project manager at the Icelandic Directorate of Health Iceland, and chair of The Nordic Network on the Child’s First 1000 Days.  

She also sits in a steering group to follow up on an Icelandic bill about preventing gender and sexual violence against children. 

– This kind of collaboration is precisely what the Nordic network aims to strengthen and expand in its joint efforts to provide a good life, says Jenný Ingudóttir. 

The network offers advice for furthering the cooperation in the report The First 1000 days in the Nordic Countries: Policy Recommendations,  published by  Nordic Council of Ministers.