Johanna Björksten

I am a doctoral student in social work at Södertörn University and affiliated with the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies and the Baltic and East European Graduate School.

In my dissertation project, I am investigating the role of social work in dealing with intimate partner violence (IPV) in Finland, with a particular focus on the Swedish-speaking minority. I am paying particular attention to women's experiences of continued violence after separation from a violent former partner (post-separation violence), the long-term consequences of this violence and support that may be needed. A central focus of the project is the role of social work in addressing and counteracting continued exposure to post-separation violence.

The study has a qualitative design and is based on interviews with both women who have been exposed to post-separation violence and social work professionals with experience of working with this issue.

My research interests include:

• Violence in close relationships, especially violence after separation
• The role of social work in preventing and counteracting continued exposure to violence
• Women's experiences of violence and support-seeking processes
• Professional practices and assessments in social work