Disputed Stories of the Other

Abused Children in Foster Care as Depicted by the Finnish Press in Post-World War II Finland

Abstract

In this article, I examine the journalistic writings about abuse in child protection foster care. The sources used in the study consists of newspaper articles stored in the digital archive of the National Library of Finland (1948-2020). As the article shows, cases of abuse became particularly public in the 1950s. I analyse the routes through which these cases have come to the attention of the public and examine the factors that may have contributed to the silence surrounding the phenomenon. I also draw attention to the extent to which children in-out-of-home care and their stories have been otherised and marginalised. I will consider how this othering contributed to the silence surrounding the abuse and its protracted nature.