Between Voice and Protection: Teenagers’ Participation in Risk Management of Honor-Based Abuse in Swedish Child Welfare

Abstract Purpose This study examines how teenagers’ participation is reflected and enacted within social services’ risk management of honor-based abuse (HBA) cases in Sweden. Method A retrospective qualitative document analysis was conducted on 29 child welfare case files concerning teenagers aged 12–19 with indications of HBA. Data were analyzed using latent qualitative content analysis, guided by Shier’s Pathway to Participation framework, to identify patterns and levels of participation within risk management practices. Results Findings reveal a continuum of participation ranging from passive involvement to active engagement. Most cases represented lower levels, where teenagers were listened to or supported in expressing views, but rarely influenced decisions. Opportunities for having a voice were often contingent on disclosure and appeared fragmentary rather than continuous. Active participation was most evident in cases involving out-of-home care, where teenagers’ preferences shaped aspects of intervention planning. Structural barriers, such as relocation abroad, eliminated opportunities for engagement entirely. Furthermore, teenagers’ participation functioned as a prerequisite for agency rather than a structurally embedded practice. Conclusions Teenagers’ participation in HBA-related risk management remains limited and conditional. Strengthening participatory practices requires enabling participation early, maintaining engagement throughout interventions, and balancing agency with protection. Embedding participation as a substantive right rather than a procedural formality is essential for ensuring that all voices are heard.