The Network Model
Research programme: Crime Prevention among Traumatised Refugee Families - Implementation of network meetings in Danish Municipalities
In 2005-06 DIGNITY carried out a combined research- and
intervention project with the aim of developing and testing a
method model to prevent youth violence and criminality in
traumatized refugee families. The project was a combination of
intervention, research and evaluation and the results were
published in 2006 in Danish and English in a book: 'Towards a concerted effort. Networking to prevent
youth crime in traumatized refugee families'.
As the method model had shown good results, we developed a
larger implementation and research project in order to translate
existing knowledge of the associations between youth crime in
traumatized refugee families and structural problems with
education, economy, work and marginalization into concrete action.
In 2008 we had received grants mounting to 8 million DKK from the
Egmont Foundation, Trygfonden and the Ministry of
Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs, and the
project was initiated.
The project has a duration of four years, is implemented in six
Danish municipalities and consists of an implementation and a
research part. Main components in the implementation part are
training of at least five case-workers from each municipality in
conducting process oriented network meetings; regular supervision
of the case-workers own network-meetings; and workshops in each
municipality on traumatized refugee families. The research
components are monitoring of the mental health and behavioral
problems of children in the participating families before and after
the intervention (a randomized design was not feasible); and a PhD
project in anthropology on traumatized refugee families' meeting
with the Danish social- and educational system and the system of
justice.
The project-team consists of a full-time daily leader
(anthropologist Nanna Kold), a part-time family therapist (Tina
Mouritsen), a PhD student in anthropology (Mette-Louise Johansen)
and two senior researchers from DIGNITY (Steffen Jensen, Edith
Montgomery). The project will be evaluated by an independent
research team from the Danish Institute of Governmental Research
(AKF).
Contact: Project Manager Nanna Kold
Publications
Johansen, ML, Mouritsen, T & Montgomery E.: Towards a
Concerted Effort. Networking to Prevent Youth Crime in Traumatized
Refugee Families. Copenhagen: RCT, 2007
Johansen, ML, Mouritsen, T & Montgomery E. Mod en
fælles indsats. Netværksarbejde til forebyggelse af
ungdomskriminalitet i traumatiserede flygtningefamilier.
Copenhagen: RCT, 2006.
See Network for
Rami about the The Network Model (only available in
Danish).