Young People's Care in Families Affected by Domestic Violence and Abuse in Sweden: Gendered Expectations and Wellbeing

ABSTRACT This qualitative study explores how young people in families affected by domestic violence and abuse (DVA) describe and relate to care, and how different forms of care are shaped by gendered expectations and relate to their wellbeing. Drawing on interviews with seven young people in Sweden, the study uses a care ethics‐informed framework analysis to examine how participants take on care, resisting or withdrawing from it, or being excluded from care. Taking on care was expressed through ongoing responsibility, protection and emotional support, including caring for siblings, supporting mothers and maintaining everyday family functioning. Care was often described as emotional attentiveness and relational presence. Young people also described resisting care by setting boundaries or withdrawing when responsibilities became overwhelming or exceeded what they perceived as reasonable. Some described being excluded from care through adult decisions intended to protect them, which sometimes generated frustration, helplessness, or guilt. The findings also indicated gendered tendencies: girls provided more detailed descriptions of continuous, emotionally oriented care, whereas boys tended to emphasise situational and protective actions. Across these positions, care appeared to have implications for young people's wellbeing and everyday lives. The study highlights the importance of recognising care as relational and situational, shaped by gendered norms of responsibility and protection.