Inside and Outside: Barriers and challenges affecting helpers working with violence and abuse in Sámi communities

• In Event: Gender, Crime and Justice Working Group Panel 7: Barriers and challenges in reporting of and responding to violence and abuse

Abstract

The Sámi are an indigenous people inhabiting the Arctic parts of northern Europe. Research from Norway indicates higher exposure to violence and abuse (VA) among the Sámi compared to other ethnic groups, particularly among women and children. These results accord with international studies relating the high level of VA reported by indigenous people to historic traumas caused by colonialism. The legacy of assimilation, subordination and discrimination has affected individual and collective identities of the Sámi, as well as their attitude towards state authorities and support services. Building on interviews and focus groups, the paper explores how professionals deal with structural and cultural barriers that restrict help-seeking among the Sámi. Additional information has been collected from NGOs, policymakers and other experts. Drawing on and comparing results from earlier and ongoing research, we examine how VA is understood and dealt with by professionals working with Sámi victims. The paper reflects the complex processes of being ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ as constantly (re)negotiated parts of working with VA in Sámi communities. For the helpers, being part of the community is often a pre-condition for getting access. Yet, being an insider can be challenging in small and tightly knit communities, as people sometimes prefer to talk about sensitive issues to an ‘outsider’. An outsider’s position can also be a disadvantage, since they lack ‘quiet’ knowledge often inherent in language, culture and identity. Non-Sámi helpers report of challenges including the lack of cultural-linguistic competence, limited knowledge about the Sámi context, and a mistrust in authorities among the Sámi. The tradition of silencing tabooed issues or keeping them within the family/kin, can prevent help-seeking. However, we argue that a discursive change is taking place, as themes such as violence, gender and sexuality have entered onto the cultural and political agenda in Sámi communities, breaking the ‘culture of silence'.

Author

• Solveig Bergman, Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies