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Johnson, B., Richert, T. & Svensson, B. (2022). Physical Violence and Property Damage towards Parents, Committed by Adult Children with Drug Problems. Journal of family Violence, 37, 165-180
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Physical Violence and Property Damage towards Parents, Committed by Adult Children with Drug Problems
2022 (English)In: Journal of family Violence, ISSN 0885-7482, E-ISSN 1573-2851, Vol. 37, p. 165-180Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Drug use has previously been identified as a risk factor for child-to-parent abuse. We examine how common it is for parents to be exposed to physical violence and property damage by adult children with drug problems, and whether such victimization varies based on factors related to the parents and the adult children, respectively. A self-report questionnaire on victimization was completed by 687 parents of adult children with drug problems. The data were collected via a postal questionnaire to members of the Parents Against Drugs association and a web-based questionnaire to persons recruited via social media, treatment centers and other associations for families of drug users. The proportion of parents who reported having been exposed to physical violence was 19% ever, 6% during the past year. The proportion who had been exposed to property damage was 40% ever, 10% during the past year. Exposure during the past year was higher among parents whose children were currently experiencing drug problems. Mental health problems in the children were associated with higher levels of parental victimization, particularly in the form of physical violence. Parental victimization was also associated with the children being younger and still living at home. Exposure to property damage was higher among parents of male children. Adult children's drug problems are of significance for parental victimization; they do not however appear to constitute a major risk factor but rather one risk factor among several others. Exposure to physical violence is clearly related to the presence of mental health problems in the children.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2022
Keywords
Parent abuse, Physical violence, Property damage, Adult children, Drug problems
National Category
Social Work
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-17909 (URN)10.1007/s10896-020-00181-1 (DOI)000546218800001 ()2-s2.0-85087641307 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2020-08-13 Created: 2020-08-13 Last updated: 2024-02-05Bibliographically approved
Liahaugen Flensburg, O., Johnson, B., Nordgren, J., Richert, T. & Svensson, B. (2022). "Something wasn't right"-parents of children with drug problems looking back at how the troubles first began. Drugs: education prevention and policy, 29(3), 255-264
Open this publication in new window or tab >>"Something wasn't right"-parents of children with drug problems looking back at how the troubles first began
Show others...
2022 (English)In: Drugs: education prevention and policy, ISSN 0968-7637, E-ISSN 1465-3370, Vol. 29, no 3, p. 255-264Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

In this study we analyze how parents of adult children with drug use problems view the initial stages of identifying their children's troubles as a severe drug problem. We focus on the parents' accounts of the discovery process by identifying significant events in the parents' narratives through 'the micro-politics of trouble'. The study is based on an analysis of 32 semi-structured interviews with parents of adult children (aged 18+) with drug problems. Four themes emerged from the parents' narratives: (1) the first signs of a problem, (2) drug problem or teenage defiance? (3) the awakening, (4) a passing phase. The different themes show how the parents' interpretations of the situation influence their definitions and thus their actions. Early signs and indicators of something being wrong do not initially result in parents framing the situation as problematic as they are perceived as everyday concerns and dealt with as such. Our focus on the initial phase of the problem definition process and how this affects the parents may provide a better understanding of the parents' situation and needs for support. This may be of use to professionals in the fields of social work and drug treatment who meet these parents and may have a role to play in the development of support measures that can improve their situation.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Taylor & Francis, 2022
Keywords
Discovery process, drug problems, parents, symbolic interactionism, trouble, qualitative interviews
National Category
Social Work
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-41537 (URN)10.1080/09687637.2021.1897525 (DOI)000629044700001 ()2-s2.0-85102719486 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2021-04-01 Created: 2021-04-01 Last updated: 2024-02-05Bibliographically approved
Skårner, A. & Svensson, B. (2022). Women’s and men’s stories about sex and intimate relationships in long-term recovery from problematic drug use. In: Sarah Galvani; Alastair Roy; Amanda Clayson (Ed.), Long-Term Recovery from Substance Use: European Perspectives (pp. 67-79). Policy Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Women’s and men’s stories about sex and intimate relationships in long-term recovery from problematic drug use
2022 (English)In: Long-Term Recovery from Substance Use: European Perspectives / [ed] Sarah Galvani; Alastair Roy; Amanda Clayson, Policy Press, 2022, p. 67-79Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Policy Press, 2022
National Category
Social Work
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-56286 (URN)001003605300009 ()2-s2.0-85131600321 (Scopus ID)9781447358176 (ISBN)9781447358169 (ISBN)9781447358183 (ISBN)
Available from: 2022-11-29 Created: 2022-11-29 Last updated: 2025-01-31Bibliographically approved
Richert, T., Svensson, B. & Johnson, B. (2021). Experiences of Swedish Parents Seeking Social Services Support for Their Adult Children With Drug Addiction. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 12(4), 677-704
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Experiences of Swedish Parents Seeking Social Services Support for Their Adult Children With Drug Addiction
2021 (English)In: Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, ISSN 2334-2315, Vol. 12, no 4, p. 677-704Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Objective: Family members of a person with drug addiction often experience negative impacts on their lives and face barriers to seeking professional support. More knowledge is needed about such barriers so they can be reduced. This article examines the help-seeking experiences of parents of adult children with drug addiction, a group that has received little attention in research. Method: We conducted in-depth interviews with 32 parents of adult children with drug addiction in Sweden. Results: Parents described problems in encounters with social services and barriers to adequate support for their children. On a psychological level, they described feelings of shame and guilt, negative views of social services, and fear of stigma and loss of control that were barriers to seeking professional support. On an interpersonal level, barriers to help were connected to problems in the interaction among parents, children, and social services. On a structural level, barriers pertain to deficiencies in the availability and quality of support measures, inadequate cooperation between authorities, and a shift in responsibility from the state to the individual and the family. Conclusions: Parents of children with drug addiction are a vulnerable group that often experience problems in their contacts with authorities. A more collaborative approach by social services may abate parents’ self-blame and concern and may strengthen their role in their children’s treatment process.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
University of Chicago Press, 2021
Keywords
Sociology and Political Science, Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
National Category
Social Work
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-47101 (URN)10.1086/712894 (DOI)000721096700001 ()2-s2.0-85102719388 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Forte, Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare
Available from: 2021-11-26 Created: 2021-11-26 Last updated: 2024-10-04Bibliographically approved
Moeller, K., Svensson, B. & Munksgaard, R. (2021). Fentanyl analogs on the Swedish webforum flashback: Interest and impact of scheduling. International journal of drug policy, 87, Article ID 103013.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Fentanyl analogs on the Swedish webforum flashback: Interest and impact of scheduling
2021 (English)In: International journal of drug policy, ISSN 0955-3959, E-ISSN 1873-4758, Vol. 87, article id 103013Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background

Sweden regulates new psychoactive substances, including fentanyl analogs, individually. This reactive scheduling procedure enabled the existence of a recreational market for unscheduled fentanyl analogs sold from surface webshops. We measure the interest in 24 named fentanyl analogs and the impact of scheduling.

Methods

We scraped posts in threads on named fentanyl analogs from the Swedish internet forum Flashback.org, 2012–2019. The sample consists of 24 threads with a total of 8761 posts. We construct five measures of interest based on duration of threads, number of posts, and number of distinct posters, and fit a non-seasonal ARMA model to test if there was a change in mean activity after scheduling.

Results

Across the five measures, there was most interest in acryl fentanyl, butyr fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl. The number of daily posts was significantly reduced in nine out of 13 threads after scheduling.

Conclusion

The scheduling of fentanyl analogs impacted interest on Flashback.org. The biggest effect sizes were from the narcotics scheduling of 2-Me-MAF, acryl, and acetyl fentanyl, while furanyl fentanyl saw the biggest reduction after health scheduling. The reductions were bigger for narcotics scheduling compared to health scheduling.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2021
Keywords
Fentanyl, NPS, Synthetic opioids, Sweden
National Category
Social Work
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-36832 (URN)10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.103013 (DOI)000632598300003 ()33181448 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85096159102 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2020-11-15 Created: 2020-12-03 Last updated: 2024-02-05Bibliographically approved
Moeller, K. & Svensson, B. (2021). "Shop Until You Drop": Valuing Fentanyl Analogs on a Swedish Internet Forum. Journal of Drug Issues, 51(1), 181-195, Article ID 0022042620964129.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>"Shop Until You Drop": Valuing Fentanyl Analogs on a Swedish Internet Forum
2021 (English)In: Journal of Drug Issues, ISSN 0022-0426, E-ISSN 1945-1369, Vol. 51, no 1, p. 181-195, article id 0022042620964129Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Fentanyl analogs are synthetic opioids used for pain treatment and palliative care, which are also sought after by drug users for their psychoactive properties. Clandestinely produced fentanyl has caused an overdose crises of unprecedented scale in the United States. In Sweden, the retail purchase, possession, and use of some analogs are legal, providing opiate users with a legal alternative, until the process of scheduling is finished. The continuous process of scheduling and introduction of slightly modified variants implies that there is much uncertainty regarding the potency and quality of newly introduced analogs. We examine user perceptions of fentanyl analogs in a thematic analysis of the public internet forum, Flashback, from 2012 to 2019. In 24 threads on fentanyl analogs, posters shared and discussed information on the emergence of new analogs, their desirability and prices, adverse health effects, and eventual scheduling.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sage Publications, 2021
Keywords
fentanyl, synthetic opioids, new psychoactive substances, economic sociology, thematic analysis
National Category
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-36675 (URN)10.1177/0022042620964129 (DOI)000577552100001 ()2-s2.0-85092321192 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2020-11-09 Created: 2020-11-09 Last updated: 2024-02-05Bibliographically approved
Svensson, B., Richert, T. & Johnson, B. (2020). Parents’ experiences of abuse by their adult children with drug problems (ed.). Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 37(1), 69-85
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Parents’ experiences of abuse by their adult children with drug problems
2020 (English)In: Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, ISSN 1455-0725, E-ISSN 1458-6126, Vol. 37, no 1, p. 69-85Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Aims: To examine parents’ experiences of abuse directed at them by their adult children with drug problems. Material and Method: The material consists of 32 qualitative interviews on child-to-parent abuse with 24 mothers and eight fathers. The interviewees had experienced verbal abuse (insults), emotional abuse (threats), financial abuse (damage to property and possessions) and physical abuse (physical violence). Findings: In the parents’ narratives, the parent-child interaction is dominated by the child’s destructive drug use, which the parents are trying to stop. This gives rise to conflicts and ambivalence. The parents’ accounts seem to function as explaining and justifying their children’s disruptive behavior in view of the drug use. The fact that an external factor - drugs - is blamed seems to make it easier to repair the parent-child bonds. The parents differentiate between the child who is sober and the child who is under the influence of drugs, that is, between the genuine child and the fake, unreal child. The sober child is a person that the parent likes and makes an effort for. The child who is on drugs is erratic, at times aggressive and self-destructive. Conclusions: The interviewed parents’ well-being is perceived as directly related to how their children’s lives turn out. The single most important factor in improving the parents’ situation is to find a way for their adult child to live their lives without drug problems.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sage Publications, 2020
Keywords
accounts, adult children, child-to-parent abuse, drug problems, family conflicts
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-3920 (URN)10.1177/1455072519883464 (DOI)000496765300001 ()32934594 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85079117474 (Scopus ID)30369 (Local ID)30369 (Archive number)30369 (OAI)
Available from: 2020-02-28 Created: 2020-02-28 Last updated: 2024-02-05Bibliographically approved
Nordgren, J., Richert, T., Svensson, B. & Johnson, B. (2020). Say No and Close the Door?: Codependency Troubles among Parents of Adult Children with Drug Problems in Sweden (ed.). Journal of Family Issues, 41(5), 567-588
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Say No and Close the Door?: Codependency Troubles among Parents of Adult Children with Drug Problems in Sweden
2020 (English)In: Journal of Family Issues, ISSN 0192-513X, E-ISSN 1552-5481, Vol. 41, no 5, p. 567-588Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Codependency is a term used to describe a range of behaviors among persons who are affected by the problematic drug use of family members. This article analyzes how 32 Swedish parents of adult children with drug problems talked about and understood codependency. The sociology of trouble was used as a theoretical framework and three significant themes were identified in the interviews. The parents spoke about how they defined codependency troubles, how they discovered codependency, and how they set boundaries for their children. The parents talked about their situations as highly distressing, and third-party troubleshooters defined their troubles and problems as codependency. The parents generally rejected the advice to “close the door” on their children and engaged in a range of remedial actions. The analytical focus of this study on the identification, definition, and remedial actions of parents gives valuable insights into family disruptions related to drug problems.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sage Publications, 2020
Keywords
Codependency, enabling, drug problems, parenthood, family, sociology of trouble, Sweden
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-4409 (URN)10.1177/0192513X19879200 (DOI)000489409800001 ()2-s2.0-85074048179 (Scopus ID)30194 (Local ID)30194 (Archive number)30194 (OAI)
Available from: 2020-02-28 Created: 2020-02-28 Last updated: 2024-02-05Bibliographically approved
Richert, T., Johnson, B. & Svensson, B. (2018). Being a Parent to an Adult Child With Drug Problems: Negative Impacts on Life Situation, Health, and Emotions (ed.). Journal of Family Issues, 39(8), 2311-2335
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Being a Parent to an Adult Child With Drug Problems: Negative Impacts on Life Situation, Health, and Emotions
2018 (English)In: Journal of Family Issues, ISSN 0192-513X, E-ISSN 1552-5481, Vol. 39, no 8, p. 2311-2335Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This study is about the vulnerability of parents to adult children with drug problems. The study is based on a self-reporting questionnaire (n = 687) distributed to parents in Sweden via family member organizations, treatment centers, and online communities. Most parents reported extensive negative consequences on relationships, social life, and mental health due to their children’s drug problems. Most parents also experienced strong feelings of powerlessness, grief, guilt, and shame. Many parents reported a negative impact on their economy and work ability. In general, fathers claimed to feel less of a negative impact than mothers. A more severe drug problem and life situation for the child was associated with a greater negative impact for the parents. Many parents experienced difficulties in securing adequate help both for their child and for themselves. The study shows the need for increased support efforts for this parent group.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sage Publications, 2018
Keywords
parents, adult children, drug problems, vulnerability, family health, family burden, shame
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-4184 (URN)10.1177/0192513X17748695 (DOI)000432529500005 ()2-s2.0-85041606896 (Scopus ID)24220 (Local ID)24220 (Archive number)24220 (OAI)
Available from: 2020-02-28 Created: 2020-02-28 Last updated: 2024-02-05Bibliographically approved
Johnson, B., Richert, T. & Svensson, B. (2018). Parents as victims of property crime committed by their adult children with drug problems: Results from a self-report study (ed.). International Review of Victimology, 24(3), 329-346
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Parents as victims of property crime committed by their adult children with drug problems: Results from a self-report study
2018 (English)In: International Review of Victimology, ISSN 0269-7580, E-ISSN 2047-9433, Vol. 24, no 3, p. 329-346Article in journal (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Parents who are subjected to crime by adult children with drug problems have been neglected in victimological research. We have examined how common it is for parents to fall victim to theft and burglary committed by their children and how the risk varies depending on the parents’ and children’s circumstances. A self-report questionnaire on victimisation was distributed to parents of adult children with drug problems (n=687). The data were collected by means of a postal survey sent to members of the Swedish organisation Parents Against Drugs (Föräldraföreningen mot narkotika) (n=411) and through an online questionnaire that was disseminated on social media and among treatment facilities and other support associations for family members (n=276). Half (50.7%) of the parents declared that they had at one point or another been victims of theft or burglary committed by their children. The level was higher among older parents, among those whose children had more severe drug problems and among parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Of the respondents, 9.9% had been exposed to property crime during the past year. The level was higher among parents of children who were currently taking drugs, among parents of younger children and among parents whose children were living at home. Parents of adult children with drug problems run a high risk of being subjected to property crime by their children. The risk appears to be mostly related to the children’s drug problems and certain other circumstances pertaining to the children. Further research is needed on the extent and nature of this type of crime and about risk prevention for the parents.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sage Publications, 2018
Keywords
drug problems, parents, adult children, property crime, victimisation survey
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-15234 (URN)10.1177/0269758018773836 (DOI)000440039700005 ()2-s2.0-85048755250 (Scopus ID)25288 (Local ID)25288 (Archive number)25288 (OAI)
Available from: 2020-03-30 Created: 2020-03-30 Last updated: 2024-02-05Bibliographically approved
Projects
Föräldrar till vuxna barn med narkotikaproblem; Malmö University
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0002-8248-8825

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