The practice of zero tolerance: emergency placement by child welfare services in Norway

Abstract

The present article discusses emergency placement of children by the Norwegian Child Welfare Services. We have interviewed nine mothers about their experiences with transfer of care of their children. Several of the mothers had their children removed due to an emergency decision. The article focuses on one of these stories and analyzes the way in which emergency placement can be seen as a form of communication and practice. The purpose of this article is to generate knowledge about how the concept of «zero tolerance» is used to legitimize emergency placements, and how this practice might cause more harm than benefits for individual children. The article’s analytical perspective is grounded in the systems theory of Niklas Luhmann.