- E-mailMarit.Skivenes@uib.no
- Phone+47 55 58 25 87+47 959 24 979
- Visitor AddressChristiesgt. 17Bergen
- Postal AddressPostboks 78025020 BERGEN
Skivenes is recognised as a leading expert in the field of child protection systems, with numerous publications in well-regarded journals. She is also a popular lecturer at home and abroad, and a widely used expert by the media.
If you wish to be affiliated with the research centre, please contact prof. Skivenes. Other inquiries should be directed to Barbara Ruiken.
- Follow Marit Skivenes on Academia, ResearchGate and LinkedIn.
Biography
Skivenes completed her PhD in Political Science at the University of Bergen in 2002. Post PhD, she worked two years as a researcher at the research institute "Fafo" in Oslo.
Later she spent three years at the Centre for Child Welfare at the Faculty of Psychology (UiB), as associate professor and head of the Centre. She then continued to work three years at the Department of Social Education at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), first as associate professor and later as a professor.
Marit Skivenes is a professor at the Department of Administration and Organization Theory (University of Bergen), appointed in 2012.
Research interests
Theoretical focus:
- Argumentation Theory - Deliberative Democracy - Discretion and decision-making in Organizations - Freedom of Speech - Paternalism and Welfare - Political Theory - Quality of Public Administration.
Empirical research themes:
- Access to public information, Children's Interests, Child Protection Systems, Child Rights, Decision-Making Proceedings, Migration, Public Debate, Public Policy formation, Transparency, Welfare State Systems, Whistle-Blowing, Wrongdoing in Organizations.
Please examine professor Skivenes projects and publications for elaborations about her research.
Awards and grants
Marit Skivenes was awarded the prestigous ERC Consolidator Grant in 2016 for her research project DISCRETION. Read more about this here.
Marit Skivenes and Katrin Kriz were awarded the ISW prize for best article published in 2015 with the article "Challenges for marginalized minority parents in different welfare systems: Child welfare workers’ perspectives".
Selected publications
- 2019. The Hidden Proceedings – An Analysis of Accountability of Child Protection Adoption Proceedings in Eight European Jurisdictions. European Journal of Comparative Law and Governance. 6: 339-371. doi: 10.1163/22134514-00604002
- 2019. Rapport: Adopsjon som barneverntiltak. Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism, Bergen. 303 pages.
- 2018. Improving decision-making in care order proceedings: A multijurisdictional study of court decision-makers' viewpoints. Child & Family Social Work. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12600
- 2017. Citizens' views in four jurisdictions on placement policies for maltreated children. Child & Family Social Work. 22: 1472-1479. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12369
- 2015. The child´s opinion and position in care order proceedings: an analysis of judiciary discretion in the county boards decision-making. The International Journal of Children's Rights. 23: 705-723. doi: 10.1163/15718182-02304001
- 2015. Children's involvement in care order decision-making: A cross-country analysis. International Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect. 49: 128-141. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.07.001
- 2015. Child welfare workers’ perceptions of children’s participation: a comparative study of England, Norway and the United States (California). Child & Family Social Work. 22: 11-22. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12224
- 2015. Child welfare workers' views of fathers in risk assessment and planned interventions, a comparison between English and Norwegian workers. Child & Family Social Work. 22: 203-212. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12220
- 2015. The formalized framework for decision-making in child protection care orders: A cross-country analysis. Journal of European Social Policy. 25: 366-378. doi: 10.1177/0958928715594540
- 2015. The emotional dimension in risk assessment: a cross-country study of the perceptions of child welfare workers in England, Norway and California (United States). British Journal of Social Work. 45: 809-824. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bct177
- 2013. Risk assessment and domestic violence - how do child welfare workers in three countries assess and substantiate the risk level for a 5-year-old girl? Child & Family Social Work. 20: 424-436. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12092
- 2015. Challenges for marginalized minority parents in different welfare systems: Child welfare workers’ perspectives. International Social Work. 58: 75-87. doi: 10.1177/0020872812456052
- 2012. Dimensions of high quality foster care: Parenting Plus. Children and youth services review. 34: 1956-1965. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.05.026
- 2011. Child Protection Systems: International Trends and Emerging Orientations. Oxford University Press. 257 pages. ISBN: 9780199793358.
- 2010. Judging the best interests of children - rational reasoning or subjective presumptions? Acta Sociologica. 53: 339-353. doi: 10.1177/0001699310379142
- 2009. Balancing a Child’s Best Interest and a Child’s Views. The International Journal of Children's Rights. 17: 1-21. doi: 10.1163/157181808X358276
Keynote speaker
- Plenary lecture at «Samling barnevernledere i Rogaland: Samarbeid med barn, unge og foreldre i barnevernets arbeid». Title: “Tid for barneperspektiver!” Sola; 2018-05-03.
- Key note speaker at the 3rd Annual International ERCPAMM Seminar “Research, social policy and action with migrant minors”, Title: «Children across borders: Rights and policies», Melilla, Spain; 2018-04-25 to 2018-04-27.
- Plenary lecture at «Fagkonferansen om kunnskap, fag og kompetanse i barnevernet». Title: “Nytenkning om faglighet og bruk av skjønn i barnevernet”, Oslo; 2018-02-13.
- Plenary lecture at the conference «Fra barnevern til helse, eldreomsorg, ungdom og kropp» arranged by Bergen Kommune. Title: «Nytenkende forskning på barns beste i barnevernet», Bergen; 2017-06-15.
- Key note speaker at the conference “Unaccompanied minors across borders: Main social and political issues for their protection”. Title: “Discrimination of unaccompanied asylum seeking minors”, Melilla, Spain; 2017-04-25
- Keynote speaker at the 8th ESFR Conference “Changing Family Relations – Gender and Generations”; 2016-08-31 – 2016-09-03. Dortmund, Germany.
- Keynote speaker at the Nordic Congress on Child Welfare; 2015-08-26 - 2015-08-28. Turku, Finland.
- Keynote speaker at the 25th Anniversary Conference of UNs Child Convention – "Protection of children against violence and sexual abuse"; 2014-11-10. Oslo, Norway.
- Plenary lecture at the 13th ISPCAN European Regional Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect; 2013-09-15 – 2013 09-18. Dublin, Ireland.
- Plenary lecture at the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs’ conference “Oppvekstkonferansen 2012”; 2012-10-24. Oslo, Norway.
- Plenary lecture at UNIFEC Conference: "A Better Way to Protect ALL Children: The theory and practice of child protection systems"; 2012-11-13 – 2012-11-16. New Delhi, India
Recent presentations
- “Adoption as a child welfare measure” (“Adopsjon som barnevernstiltak”, in Norwegian). Presentation of findings from research project at seminar arranged by The Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs, 05-02-2019.
- “Perceptions of risk, need, and neglect: A cross-country comparison”, presentation (Free paper) with Prof. Jill Duerr Berrick, Prof. Jonathan Dickens and Prof. Tarja Pösö at BASPCAN 10th International Congress, Warwick, Storbritannia; 2018-04-11.
- «Hvem sin rett til familieliv? Når barnevernet tar over omsorgen for babyer», presentation with Ida Benedicte Juhasz at «Forskningsfrokost: Hva vet vi om barnevernet?», Oslo; 2018-02-02.
- “International perspectives on children’s involvement in child protection court cases”, presentation with Prof. Jill Duerr Berrick and Prof. Jonathan Dickens at The 7th World Congress on Family Law and Children’s Rights, Dublin, Ireland; 2017-06-04.
- “Discretion, children’s and parents’ involvement in decision-making and the role of the court – key findings in a cross-country context”, presentation at International research seminar: “Legitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare”, Tampere, Finland; 2017-05-23.
- “How can we improve our understanding of the mechanisms in discretionary decision-making?”, presentation at Copenhagen Project Seminar organised by Høgskulen på Vestlandet, Klokkedal, Denmark, 2017-04-14
- “Child Welfare Policy & Practice in Norway: A child-centric approach”, presentation at “Reflections on International Comparative Child Welfare: What can we learn from other countries?”, Berkley, USA; 2017-02-24.
- “Er norsk barnevern dårligere enn andre lands barnevern?», presentation at Barnevernseminar «Hvordan fungerer barnevernet?» organised by Bergen Kommune, Bergen; 2017-01-31
- “Seminar om ny barnevernlov (NOU 2016:16)» organised by Høgskulen på Vestlandet, Bergen; 2017-01-18
Recent Features in Major Norwegian Papers
- Skivenes, M. og Helland, H. (2019). "Barns rett til familieliv" (Children's right to family life, in Norwegian) 23 February 2019.
- Skivenes, M. (2018). "Hvem har mest innflytelse - Solberg eller NAV-konsulenten?" (Who has the most influence - the Prime Minister or the welfare officer, in Norwegian) 5 June 2018.
- Skivenes, M. (2016). ”Rettigheter som utfordrer” (Rights that challenge, in Norwegian). Bergens Tidende, December 1st 2016.
Recent media coverage
- “Professor: – Norsk barnevern er i front med barns rettigheter. Det kan virke som om vi har fått svi for det.” (Professor: - Norwegian child welfare is at the forefront in terms of children´s rights. It seems like we are paying the price for this”, in Norwegian. Aftenposten / Bergens Tidende, 25 November 2019.
- “De har vært fosterforeldrene til Nora (7) siden hun var ett år. Deres største ønske er å få adoptere henne. Men retten sier nei.” (They have been foster parents to Nora (7) since she was 1 years old. Their greatest wish is to adopt her. But the court says no, in Norwegian). Aftenposten, 18 May 2019.
- "Adopsjon gir bedre levevilkår" (Adoption provides better living conditions, in Norwegian). Forskning.no, 9 February 2019.
- “Too few Norwegian children under protection adopted by foster parents: report.” Xinhua News, 6.februar 2019.
- "Rundt 50 barn i året adopteres av fosterforeldre. Det er altfor få, ifølge ny rapport" (Around 50 children are adopted by their foster parents each year. The number is much too low, according to new report, in Norwegian). Aftenposten, 5 February 2019.
- «Hva skal til for at barnevernet tar et nyfødt barn fra mor?» (What are the requirements for the child protection services to remove a newborn child from its mother?, in Norwegian). Forskning.no, 7 February 2018.
- "Hatet mot barnevernet" (The hatred against child protection services, in Norwegian). Bergens Tidende, 3 June 2017.
- "Statens rolle overfor familien" (The government’s role in family life, in Norwegian). Dagen, 16 May 2017.
- "Forsker på omsorgsovertakelser" (Researching on child protection care orders, in Norwegian). Fontene, 15 February 2017.
- "Fikk 18 millioner kroner i stipend" (Received 18 million norwegian kroner in scholarship, in Norwegian). Bergens Tidende, 15 December 2016.
- "Pecha Kucha: Statlig overgrep eller barnevern" (Pecha Kucha: Governmental violation or protection of children? in Norwegian). Aftenposten, 7 December 2016
- TV2 Nyhetene (TV2 News, in Norwegian), March 12th 2016
- "Ny forskning om fosterhjemsplassering: – Barna blir ikke hørt" (New research on foster care placements: - Children are not heard, in Norwegian). NRK, 15 January 2016.
Student supervisor on bachelor, master and PhD levels
Prof. Skivenes is not accepting new students at the moment. Students who wish to be affiliated with any of her projects are welcome to send an email to marit.skivenes@uib.no.
PhD-students under supervision:
- Barbara Ruiken, projct (UiB): Understanding risk and protective factors in child's best interest decisions
- Hege B. Helland, project (UiB) : Adoption in child protection
- Audun Løvlie, project (UiB): Accepting Care Orders: Expertise as premise-provider
- Irene Aase Kvåle, project (HVL): Priorities in Child Protection and Health Services
- Ida B. Juhasz, prosjekt (UiB): Removals of new-borns in Norway and England
- Øyvind S. Tefre, prosjekt (UiB): Between public and private responsibility for children
- Line Sørsdal, prosjekt (UiB): Decision Making about best interests
Projects under supervision
- Inger Kristin Heggdalsvik, project (HVL): High-risk family conflicts
Master's students under supervision:
- Camilla Engebråten (UiB), Tanja Maria Gummedal (UiB), Silje Risa Helgesen (UiB), Ane Myklatun Krosness (UiB), Kristine Irene Opheim (UiB), Johanne Marie Sletten (UiB).
Courses
- AORG 325 Discretion and paternalism (Program coordinator since spring 2019)
- AORG 250 Bachelor’s Thesis (Program coordinator since autumn 2013)
- AORG 100 Introductory Course in Administration and Organization Theory (Program coordinator since autumn 2013)
- AORG 104 Political Theory and Democratic Governance (Program coordinatior, spring 2013)
Academic article
- 2020. Child welfare removal of infants: Exploring policies and principles for decision-making in Nordic countries. Children and youth services review.
- 2020. Are child protection workers and judges in alignment with citizens when considering interventions into a family? A cross-country study of four jurisdictions. Children and youth services review.
- 2019. The Hidden Proceedings – An Analysis of Accountability of Child Protection Adoption Proceedings in Eight European Jurisdictions. European Journal of Comparative Law and Governance. 339-371.
- 2019. Children’s and parents’ involvement in care order proceedings: a cross-national comparison of judicial decision-makers’ views and experiences. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. 188-204.
- 2018. International Perspectives on Child-responsive Courts. The International Journal of Children's Rights. 251-277.
- 2018. Improving decision-making in care order proceedings: A multijurisdictional study of court decision-makers' viewpoints. Child & Family Social Work.
- 2017. The role and function of spokesperson in care order proceedings: A cross-country study in Finland and Norway. Children and youth services review. 8-16.
- 2017. Social Workers and Independent Experts in Child Protection Decision Making: Messages from an Intercountry Comparative Study. British Journal of Social Work. 1024-1042.
- 2017. Parents' involvement in care order decisions: a cross-country study of front-line practice. Child & Family Social Work. 626-637.
- 2017. Citizens' views in four jurisdictions on placement policies for maltreated children. Child & Family Social Work. 1472-1479.
- 2017. Care order templates as institutional scripts in child protection: A cross-system analysis. Children and youth services review. 40-47.
- 2017. Are there population biases against migrant children? An experimental analysis of attitudes towards corporal punishment in Austria, Norway and Spain. Children and youth services review. 151-157.
- 2017. A Cross-Country Comparison of Child Welfare Systems and Workers' Responses to Children Appearing to be at Risk or in Need of Help. Child Abuse Review http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/%28ISSN%291099-0852. 305-319.
- 2016. Whistleblowing in local government: an empirical study of contact patterns and whistleblowing in 20 Norwegian municipalities. Scandinavian Political Studies. 264-289.
- 2016. Time, institutional support, and quality of decision making in child protection: a cross-country analysis. Human service organizations, management, leadership & governance. 451-468.
- 2016. The population's confidence in the child protection system - A survey study of England, Finland, Norway and the United States (California). Social Policy & Administration. 1330-1347.
- 2016. Pathways to permanence in England and Norway: A critical analysis of documents and data. Children and youth services review. 152-160.
- 2016. Improving the care order decision-making processes: viewpoints of child welfare workers in four countries. Human service organizations, management, leadership & governance. 107-117.
- 2016. Deliberative decision-making on the Norwegian County Social Welfare Board The experiences of expert and lay members. Journal of Public Child Welfare. 108-132.
- 2016. Child welfare workers’ experiences of obstacles in care order preparation: a cross-country comparison. European Journal of Social Work. 100-113.
- 2015. The formalized framework for decision-making in child protection care orders: A cross-country analysis. Journal of European Social Policy. 366-378.
- 2015. The emotional dimension in risk assessment: a cross-country study of the perceptions of child welfare workers in England, Norway and California (United States). British Journal of Social Work. 809-824.
- 2015. The child´s opinion and position in care order proceedings: an analysis of judiciary discretion in the county boards decision-making. The International Journal of Children's Rights. 705 -723.
- 2015. Handlingsrommet for barns deltagelse i barnevernssaker. Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning. 48-60.
- 2015. Explaining whistle blowing processes in the Norwegian labour market: Between individual power resources and institutional arrangement. Economic and Industrial Democracy. 119-143.
- 2015. Children's involvement in care order decision-making: A cross-country analysis. International Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect. 128-141.
- 2015. Child welfare workers’ perceptions of children’s participation: a comparative study of England, Norway and the United States (California). Child & Family Social Work. 11-22.
- 2015. Child welfare workers' views of fathers in risk assessment and planned interventions, a comparison between English and Norwegian workers. Child & Family Social Work. 203-212.
- 2015. Challenges for marginalized minority parents in different welfare systems: Child welfare workers’ perspectives. International Social Work. 75-87.
- 2014. Street-level policy aims of child welfare workers in England, Norway and the United States: An exploratory study. Children and youth services review. 71-78.
- 2014. Child protection systems within the Danish, Finnish and Norwegian welfare states-time for a child centric approach? European Journal of Social Work. 475-490.
- 2013. Systemic differences in views on risk: A comparative case vignette study of risk assessment in England, Norway and the United States (California). Children and youth services review. 1862-1870.
- 2013. Risk assessment and domestic violence - how do child welfare workers in three countries assess and substantiate the risk level for a 5-year-old girl? Child & Family Social Work. 424-436.
- 2013. Is the type of misconduct decisive for the perceived legitimacy of whistleblowing? A study of municipal managers’ assessments of whistleblowing in cases of harassment and corruption. E-Journal of International and Comparative Labour Studies. 50-65.
- 2013. Fostering in the welfare states of the US and Norway. Journal of European Social Policy. 423-436.
- 2012. How child welfare workers perceive their work with undocumented immigrant families: An explorative study of challenges and coping strategies. Children and youth services review. 790-797.
- 2012. Dimensions of high quality foster care: Parenting Plus. Children and youth services review. 1956-1965.
- 2012. Child-centric or family focused? A study of child welfare workers’ perceptions of ethnic minority children in England and Norway. Child & Family Social Work. 448-457.
- 2012. Adoption in the child welfare system - A cross-country analysis of child welfare workers' recommendations for or against adoption. Children and youth services review. 2220-2228.
- 2011. How child welfare workers view their work with racial and ethnic minority families: The United States in contrast to England and Norway. Children and youth services review. 1866-1874.
- 2010. ”Knowing our society” and “fighting against prejudices”: How child welfare workers in Norway and England perceive the challenges of minority parents. British Journal of Social Work. 2634-2651.
- 2010. When whistle-blowing works: The Norwegian case. Human Relations. 1071-1097.
- 2010. Lost in Translation: How Child Welfare Workers in Norway and England Experience Language Difficulties when Working with Minority Ethnic Families. British Journal of Social Work. 1353-1367.
- 2010. Judging the best interests of children - rational reasoning or subjective presumptions? Acta Sociologica. 339-353.
- 2010. Deciding best interests: general principles and the cases of Norway and the UK. Journal of Children's Services. 43-54.
- 2010. 'We have very different positions on some issues': how child welfare workers in Norway and England bridge cultural differences when communicating with ethnic minority families. European Journal of Social Work. 3-18.
- 2010. 'Knowing Our Society' and 'Fighting Against Prejudices': How Child Welfare Workers in Norway and England Perceive the Challenges of Minority Parents. British Journal of Social Work. 2634-2651.
- 2009. Kontakt med biologisk familie etter adopsjon i barnevernet - til barnets beste? Tidsskrift for familierett, arverett og barnevernrettslige spørsmål. 135-154.
- 2009. Hearing the child. Child & Family Social Work. 391-399.
- 2009. Balancing a Child’s Best Interest and a Child’s Views. The International Journal of Children's Rights. 1-21.
- 2008. “New Public Management and Whistle Blowing.”. Tidsskriftet Politik. 82-95.
- 2008. New Public Managment og varsling. Tidsskriftet Politik. 82-95.
- 2006. A Child perspective and participation for children. Children, Youth and Environments. 10-29.
- 2005. Core Groups and Child Protection - a forum for collaboration and legitimate decision-making. Child & Family Social Work.
- 2005. Collaboration between service users and professionals: Legitimate decisions in child protection - a Norwegian model. Child & Family Social Work. 9.
- 2004. Kritikkstandarder og lovgivning. Kritisk juss.
- 2004. Grensen mellom det private og det offentlige i barnevernet. Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning.
- 2004. Barn og familieråd. En analyse av det organisatoriske rammeverket for barns medvirkning i barnevernet. Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning. 213-228.
- 2003. Biologi og barnets beste i barneverntjenesteloven. Retfærd. Nordisk Juridisk Tidsskrift.
- 2001. Demokratisk beslutningsforberedelser. Nordisk Administrativt Tidsskrift.
Lecture
- 2018. Nytenkning om faglighet og bruk av skjønn i barnevernet.
- 2018. Child rights and family sensitive social protection.
- 2018. Changing the system from within: influencing front level practice and politicians’ mindset.
- 2017. Workshop for Nordic project.
- 2017. Seminar om ny barnevernlov (NOU 2016:16).
- 2017. Proposal consideration of handbooks in progress: Child Protection.
- 2017. Are children subject to age discrimination?
- 2016. Taking custody in the best interest of the child?
- 2016. Measuring Child Rights in Norway.
- 2016. Legal, institutional and ethical issues in child protection.
- 2016. Forskningsfrokost.
- 2016. Forskning i et minefelt: Barnevern og endring av policy.
- 2016. Debatt: Striden om barnets beste.
- 2016. Barns rettssikkerhet i møte med barnevernet.
- 2016. Barnevernet: kidnapping eller beskyttelse?
- 2016. Barnevernet i et nasjonalt og internasjonalt perspektiv.
- 2016. Barn, barnevern og internasjonale forhold.
Academic lecture
- 2019. The Child’s Right to Family Life. An analysis of the European Court of Human Rights’ reasoning on adoption without consent.
- 2019. Justifying the Child’s Best Interest - A Comparison of Court Decisions in Norwegian Child Protection Cases of Violence in Migrant and Non-Migrant Families.
- 2018. Perceptions of risk, need, and neglect: A cross-country comparison.
- 2018. Justifying a child’s best interest - A comparison of court decisions in Norwegian child protection cases of violence in migrant and non-migrant families.
- 2018. Justifying Removals of Newborn Babies: A Cross-Country Analysis of Judiciary Decision Makers Reasoning of Parental Capacities .
- 2018. In the Best Interest of the Child – An Analysis of Judgments on Involuntary Adoption in the Norwegian Judicial System.
- 2018. European Court of Human Rights Directions on Newborn Removals.
- 2018. Children across borders: Rights and policies.
- 2018. Child protection removals of newborns: Policy and practice.
- 2017. Workshop ERC funded project "DISCRETION".
- 2017. Workshop.
- 2017. Workshop.
- 2017. Research meeting with the research team for "Legitimacy and fallibility in child welfare services".
- 2017. Nytenkende forskning på barns beste i barnevernet.
- 2017. Medvirkning som sentralt for gode beslutningsprosesser.
- 2017. Launch of ERC funded project "DISCRETION" at Bergen Exchanges 2017.
- 2017. International perspectives on children’s involvement in child protection court cases.
- 2017. How can we improve our understanding of the mechanisms in discretionary decision-making?
- 2017. Er norsk barnevern dårligere enn andre lands barnevern? .
- 2017. Discrimination of unaccompanied asylum seeking minors.
- 2017. Discretion, children’s and parents’ involvement in decision-making and the role of the court – key findings in a cross-country context .
- 2017. Child Welfare Policy & Practice in Norway: A child-centric approach .
- 2016. Statlig overgrep eller vern av barn?
- 2016. Norsk barnevern – utvikling i et internasjonalt perspektiv.
- 2016. Launch of the book "Child Welfare Removals by the State" and the research group Child rights unit.
- 2016. Discrimination due to migrant background? A study of the populations in 3 countries.
- 2016. Det norske barnevernets omdømme.
- 2016. Child welfare systems and children's participation - are some systems better than others?
- 2016. Changing Family Relations – Gender and Generations.
- 2015. Tillit og rettssikkerhet i barnevernet.
- 2015. The best interests principle in child protection removal cases.
- 2015. Kvalitet og legitimitet – et statsvitenskapelig blikk på fylkesnemndenes avgjørelse.
- 2015. International Perspectives on Social Work and Judicial Decision Making in Child Protection Cases.
- 2015. Internasjonale perspektiver på barnevernet.
- 2015. Cross-country perspectives on the Finnish and Norwegian child welfare: how are the good decisions made?
- 2015. Children’s participation in child protection – Exit, Voice or Loyalty.
- 2014. The Child`s opinion and position in care order proceedings. An analysis of judiciary discretion in the County boards decision making.
- 2014. Paths to permanence in England and Norway: evolving policy and the welfare state foundation.
- 2014. Decision-making in child protection care orders: A cross-country analysis of practice.
- 2014. Children as stakeholders in decision-making: contested issue, diverse practices.
- 2014. Child welfare workers’ perceptions of children’s participation: a comparative study of England, Norway and the United States (California).
- 2014. Beslutningskvaliteten i omsorgsovertakelser og adopsjon til barnets beste?
- 2013. Whistleblowing in Norwegian municipalities - the role of politicians.
- 2013. Explaining whistle blowing processes in the Norwegian labour market – power or institutional factors?
- 2013. Decision making in child welfare: A cross-country comparison.
- 2013. Child welfare systems and migrant families; the Norwegian approach.
- 2013. Child orientation – a contested concept or a "wicked problem”?
- 2012. Child protection systems – Trends and orientations.
- 2012. Adopsjon til barnets beste?
- 2004. Ansvarsgrupper i Barneverntjenesten - et forum for samarbeid og legitime beslutninger?
- 2003. Employability, partnership and labour displacement among metal workers in the Norwegian shipbuilding industry.
- 2003. Core groups in Child Protection - A forum for participation and legitimate decision-making?
- 2003. Ansvarsgrupper i barneverntjenesten - et forum for samarbeid og legitime beslutninger?
Book review
- 2016. Book Review: International Perspectives and Empirical Findings on Child Participation: From Social Exclusion to Child-Inclusive Policies. Critical Social Policy. 454-456.
- 2014. Et grunnlag for debatt - anmeldelse av Knut Halvorsens bok "Fra ide til politikk for en godt samfunn". Fontene. 53.
- 2008. En muldvarp i Siemens. Prosa - tidsskrift for skribenter.
- 2007. En utypisk varslers historie. Prosa - tidsskrift for skribenter. 40-42.
- 2007. Delt bosted for barn. Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning. 274-276.
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
- 2019. Children’s Rights in Norway: An Implementation Paradox? Universitetsforlaget.
- 2019. Child Rights and International Discrimination Law: Implementing Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Routledge.
- 2016. Child Welfare Removals by the State. A Cross-Country Analysis of Decision-Making Systems. Oxford University Press.
- 2014. Child Welfare Systems and Migrant Children - A Cross Country Study of Policies and Practice. Oxford University Press.
- 2011. Child Protection Systems: International Trends and Emerging Orientations. Oxford University Press.
Popular scientific article
- 2010. Når barnevernet møter minoriteter. Fagbladet. 40-41.
- 2008. Barn som lever med rusmisbruk i hjemmet. Debattserien for barnehagefolk.
- 2008. "Minister glemte barnevernet.". Fontene forskning.
- 2007. rett til medbestemmelse - også i fritiden. Magasinet Voksne for Barn. 3 pages.
- 2007. Når arbeidstakere varsler - og lederes håndtering. Kommunerevisoren. 4-6.
- 2006. Mediation in child welfare cases. Rett på sak: Aktualitetsmagasin for domstolene.
- 2003. Innlegg mot det biologiske prinsipp. Tidsskriftet Norges Barnevern.
- 2002. Hvorfor hemmeligholde interne dokumenter? Arkivråd.
- 2002. Hva styrer forvaltningens offentlighetspraksis? Arkivråd.
- 2001. Offentlig journal. Arkivråd.
Feature article
- 2019. Barns rett til familieliv. Dagbladet. 62-63.
- 2018. Hvem har mest innflytelse - Solberg eller Nav-konsulenten? Bergens Tidende.
- 2016. Rettigheter som utfordrer. Bergens Tidende.
- 2009. Et ustabilt, utrygt liv. Bergens Tidende.
- 2008. "Den ufullstendige historien om Jesper". Bergens Tidende.
- 2006. Varslere og frykt. Dagbladet.
- 2006. Når barn bestemmer hjemme. Bergens Tidende.
- 2005. Når varslere skal vernes. Bergens Tidende.
- 2005. Lojale varslere – lojale overfor hvem? LO-aktuelt : organ for Landsorganisasjonen i Norge.
- 2005. Kan barn bestemme? Bergens Tidende.
- 2004. Trynetillegg eller god sosial kompetanse. Dagbladet.
- 2003. Når ble det riktig å slå barn? Bergens Tidende.
- 2003. Fysisk refselse av barn – et resultat av uvitenhet og utydelig lovgivning? Bergens Tidende.
- 2003. Det biologiske prinsipp i barnevernet. Bergens Tidende.
- 2001. Nøkkelen til offentlighet. Bergens Tidende.
- 2001. Lovlig hemmelighold i internasjonale saker. Aftenposten (morgenutg. : trykt utg.).
- 2000. Vi trenger ny barnelov. Bergens Tidende.
- 1997. Til barnas beste. Bergens Tidende.
- 1996. Hvem skal ha omsorg for barnet? Dagbladet.
Doctoral dissertation
- 2002. Lovgivning og legitimitet : en evaluering av lov om barneverntjenester av 1992 i et deliberativt perspektiv.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
- 2019. Right to Protection. 29 pages.
- 2019. Introduction: Implementing Child Rights. 27 pages.
- 2019. Discriminating against children. 22 pages.
- 2018. The Child’s Best Interest Principle across Child Protection Jurisdictions. 30 pages.
- 2016. Removals of children by the child welfare system – variations and differences across countries. 21 pages.
- 2016. Norway - Child welfare decision-making in cases of removals of children. 25 pages.
- 2016. Judicial discretion and the child's best interests: the European Court of Human Rights on adoptions in child protection cases. 450 pages.
- 2016. Child welfare removals by the state – complex and controversial decisions. 17 pages.
- 2014. Wrongdoing - definitions, identification and categorizations. 20 pages.
- 2014. Migrant Children and Child Welfare Systems: A Contested Challenge. 17 pages.
- 2014. How the Norwegian Child Welfare System Approaches Migrant Children. 23 pages.
- 2014. En studie av kommunale lederes vurdering av varsling om trakassering versus korrupsjon. 16 pages.
- 2014. Child welfare systems and migrant families : an introduction. 16 pages.
- 2011. Norway: Toward A child centric perspective. 26 pages.
- 2011. Changing patterns of response and emerging orientations. 15 pages.
- 2010. Loyalty and whistleblowing in Norway: How roles comes into play. 19 pages.
- 2009. Children as participants and service users in child welfare cases. 17 pages.
- 2006. Destruktive kollektiver -til skrekk og advarsel for varsleren.
- 2005. User participation and child protection. A structural framework for collaboration in core groups. 1 pages.
- 2005. User participation and child protection. 20 pages.
- 2005. Forvaltning og politikk – om den nødvendige forbindelsen mellom brukermedvirkning og borgermedvirkning. 15 pages.
- 2005. Familieråd som deliberativ beslutningsmodell og behovet for et barneperspektiv. 18 pages.
- 2005. Brukermedvirkning i barnevernets ansvarsgrupper. 1 pages.
Errata
- 2016. Erratum: Corrigendum to “Children's involvement in care order decision-making: A cross country analysis” (Child Abuse and Neglect (2015) 49 (128–141)(S0145213415002306)(10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.07.001)). International Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect. 77-77.
Introduction
- 2011. Introduction. 3-13.
Briefs
- 2018. Store forskjeller i barnevernsavgjørelser. Forskningsfunn fra "Legitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare Services".
Article in business/trade/industry journal
- 2019. Adopsjon som barneverntiltak. Fosterhjemskontakt : tidsskrift om fosterhjemsarbeid. 2-7.
- 2013. Flere barnevernsbarn må vurderes for adopsjon. Fosterhjemskontakt : tidsskrift om fosterhjemsarbeid.
Chapter
- 2018. Barneperspektiv i fokus. 14-19. In:
- 2018. Barnas barnevern. Trygt, nyttig og samarbeidende for barn. Universitetsforlaget.
- 2016. Kvalitet og legitimitet i barnevernets beslutninger. 34-47. In:
- 2016. Beslutninger i barnevernet. Universitetsforlaget.
More information in national current research information system (CRIStin)
Selected publications
Burns, Kenneth; Kriz, Katrin; Krutzinna, Jenny; Luhamaa, Katre; Meysen, Thomas; Pösö, Tarja; Segado, Sagrario; Skivenes, Marit; Thoburn, June. 2019. The Hidden Proceedings – An Analysis of Accountability of Child Protection Adoption Proceedings in Eight European Jurisdictions. European Journal of Comparative Law and Governance. 6: 339-371. doi: 10.1163/22134514-00604002
Skivenes, Marit; Helland, Hege Beate Stein. 2019. Rapport: Adopsjon som barneverntiltak. Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism, Bergen. 303 pages.
Skivenes, Marit; Tonheim, Milfrid. 2018. Improving decision-making in care order proceedings: A multijurisdictional study of court decision-makers' viewpoints. Child & Family Social Work. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12600
Skivenes, Marit; Thoburn, June. 2017. Citizens' views in four jurisdictions on placement policies for maltreated children. Child & Family Social Work. 22: 1472-1479. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12369
Magnussen, Anne-Mette; Skivenes, Marit. 2015. The child´s opinion and position in care order proceedings: an analysis of judiciary discretion in the county boards decision-making. The International Journal of Children's Rights. 23: 705-723. doi: 10.1163/15718182-02304001
Berrick, Jill Duerr; Dickens, Jonathan; Pösö, Tarja; Skivenes, Marit. 2015. Children's involvement in care order decision-making: A cross-country analysis. International Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect. 49: 128-141. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.07.001
Skivenes, Marit; Kriz, Katrin. 2015. Child welfare workers’ perceptions of children’s participation: a comparative study of England, Norway and the United States (California). Child & Family Social Work. 22: 11-22. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12224
Skivenes, Marit; Skramstad, Heidi. 2015. Child welfare workers' views of fathers in risk assessment and planned interventions, a comparison between English and Norwegian workers. Child & Family Social Work. 22: 203-212. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12220
Berrick, Jill Duerr; Peckover, Sue; Pösö, Tarja; Skivenes, Marit. 2015. The formalized framework for decision-making in child protection care orders: A cross-country analysis. Journal of European Social Policy. 25: 366-378. doi: 10.1177/0958928715594540
Skivenes, Marit; Skramstad, Heidi. 2015. The emotional dimension in risk assessment: a cross-country study of the perceptions of child welfare workers in England, Norway and California (United States). British Journal of Social Work. 45: 809-824. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bct177
Skivenes, Marit; Stenberg, Hanne. 2013. Risk assessment and domestic violence - how do child welfare workers in three countries assess and substantiate the risk level for a 5-year-old girl? Child & Family Social Work. 20: 424-436. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12092
Kriz, Katrin; Skivenes, Marit. 2015. Challenges for marginalized minority parents in different welfare systems: Child welfare workers’ perspectives. International Social Work. 58: 75-87. doi: 10.1177/0020872812456052
Berrick, Jill Duerr; Skivenes, Marit. 2012. Dimensions of high quality foster care: Parenting Plus. Children and youth services review. 34: 1956-1965. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.05.026
Gilbert, N.; Parton, N.; Skivenes, Marit. 2011. Child Protection Systems: International Trends and Emerging Orientations. Oxford University Press. 257 pages. ISBN: 9780199793358.
Skivenes, Marit. 2010. Judging the best interests of children - rational reasoning or subjective presumptions? Acta Sociologica. 53: 339-353. doi: 10.1177/0001699310379142
Archard, David; Skivenes, Marit. 2009. Balancing a Child’s Best Interest and a Child’s Views. The International Journal of Children's Rights. 17: 1-21. doi: 10.1163/157181808X358276
Positions
- Head of the Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism
- Chair of the research group DIPA (Discretion and Paternalism
- Research leader of Child Rights Unit at Centre on Law and Social Transformation
- Representative in the Faculty Board, 2017-2021 (as well as 2013-2017).
- Member of the Departments Council, 2017-2021 (as well as 2013-2017).
- Steering Committee member of Centre on Law and Social Transformation
- Steering Committee member of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Implementing Project (CRC-IP)
- Steering Committee member of the Inter-disciplinary Network for Research on Child Welfare Proceedings and Decision-Making
- Co-director of CEIPAMM (Centro Europeo de Investigación. Políticas y Acción Para Los Menores y La Migración)
- Member of the working group for the Quality in Research Strategy at UiB
- Leader of the working group for research in the Government's Barnunge21 strategy
The Pro Bono Group
The pro bono group conducts research on children's rights. Pro bono is a latin phrase for professional work and research undertaken voluntarily without payment and for the benefit of the public good. We believe that working for children and young individual’s rights is a particularly important social responsibility. Professor Marit Skivenes is the principal investigator and chair of the group.
In the Pro Bono group we are presently working with an evaluation of ”Mitt Liv” (My Life), which is a program developed by "Forandringsfabrikken" and "BarnevernsProffene". The program is to be implemented in man Norwegian Municipalities from 2016, and the ambition of the program is to change the way child welfare workers work and to change their values towards children so that the child is in the centre of all decisions made by the child welfare system.
- Read more about the Pro bono-grop
Volunteers
Do you wish to volunteer for the Pro bono group? Do you wish to volunteer for The Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism and/or the The Child Rights Unit at Centre on Law and Social Transformation?
Please contact professor Marit Skivenes.
ERC-grant: DISCRETION
Professor Marit Skivenes is awarded an European Research Council (ERC) Frontier Research Grant for the research project DISCRETION to consolidate her research ideas and thinking around core themes in social sciences about the governments use of power towards its citizens, and the justifications of state interventions into peoples lives. The ERC sole evaluation criterion is scientific excellence of researcher and research proposal.
The full title of the project is “Discretion and the child’s best interests in child protection”, and it aims to unlock the black box of discretionary decision-making in child protection cases by a comparative-empirical study of how discretionary decisions are made and justified in the best interests of the child.
There are huge research gaps in this important area of the welfare state, with a great deal of uncertainty concerning how, when and why discretionary decisions about the child’s best interests are different between decision- makers within and between child protection systems.
- Read more here: www.discretion.uib.no
Current projects:
- Principal investigator for the research project "Discretion and the Child's Best Interest" (University of Bergen). Funded by the European Research Council (Consolidator Grant). 2017-2021.
- Principal investigator for the research project "The Acceptability of Child Protection Interventions: A Cross-Country Analysis" (University of Bergen). Funded by the Norwegian Research Council (FRIHUMSAM). 2017-2021.
- Team leader for the research project "Cosmopolitan Turn and Democratic Sentiments: The Case of Child Protection Services" (Gabriel Bădescu, Asgeir Falch-Eriksen, Marit Skivenes) (Babeş-Bolyai University). Funded by the EEA and Norway Grants – Romania. 2019-2023.
- Principal Investigator with Jill Berrick for the research project "Citizens’ views of child protection and the state: Welfare state theory, values, and risk" (UiB/UC Berkeley). Funded by the Peder Sather Grant Program. 2019-2020.
- Member of the core group in the research project "Understanding Paternalism" together with Alexander Cappelen and Bertil Tungodden (The Choice Lab, Norwegian School of Economics). Funded by the Norwegian Research Council (FRIPRO)
- Volume co-author (together with Jill Berrick and Neil Gilbert) on "Handbook on Comparative Child Welfare Policy» as part of the Oxford University Press International Social Policy Library. 2016-2019.
Previous projects
- Principal Investigator for the PRO BONO group research project on the implementation of "Mit Liv" (UiB). 2016-2019.
- Principal Investigator for the research project «Adoption as a Child Welfare Measure» (Adopsjon som et barneverntiltak, in Norwegian) (Marit Skivenes, Hege Helland, Øyvind Tefre), The Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs. 2016-2018.
- Book project: "Children´s participation in child protection - street level bureaucrats exercise of discretion" (Marit Skivenes, Katrin Kriz). 2016-2018.
- Principal investigator in the research project “Legitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare Services – A Cross-Country Study of Decision-Making” (Marit Skivenes, Tarja Pösö, Jill Berrick, Jonathan Dickens, Anne-Mette Magnussen, Line Sørsdal), The Norwegian Research Council (VAM) 2012- june 2017.*
- Organizer of the fourth "Colloquium on the United Nations Covention on the Rights of the Child Implementation Project (CRC-IP)" together with Karl Harald Søvig. Funded by the Norwegian Research Council (VAM). April 2017.
- Principal Investigator for the research project “The Norwegian Child Welfare System in a Comparative Perspective" (Marit Skivenes, Katrin Kriz, Heidi Skramstad, Øyvind Tefre, Milfrid Tonheim), The Norwegian Research Council (FRISAM) 2010- may 2017.
- Book project: Co-editor (Together with Malcolm Langford and Karl Harald Søvig) "Measuring Child Rights in Norway". Universitetsforlaget. 2016-2017