Home sweet-and-sour home: Changes experienced by girls in a gender-sensitive and trauma-informed authoritative out-of-home placement

This mixed-methods study examines the objective and subjective behavioral and emotional changes experienced by adolescent girls participating in gender-sensitive and trauma-informed care in a court-order out-of-home care setting. It does so based on surveys on behavioral, cognitive, and emotional aspects of their experience and relationships and semi-structured in-depth interviews. The qualitative findings point to positive changes experienced in the girls’ behavioral and academic functioning, their mental condition, and the relationships among them, between them and the facility staff, and between them and their parents. Conversely, the quantitative findings point to a relationship between the duration of stay at the facility and increased problem behaviors, reduced family support, and reduced happiness. The discussion addresses the gap between the qualitative and quantitative findings, as well as the theoretical and practical implications of the findings. Based on the literature and the current findings, we conclude that gender-sensitive and trauma-informed care provides girls with a safe space to reflect on their life circumstances and experiences. This can contribute to a sense of personal progress in a protected space, but on the other hand, to additional emotional and behavioral difficulties due to the preoccupation with traumatic contents both past and present.