Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism
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discretionuib.bsky.social
Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism
@discretionuib.bsky.social
Research centre at the University of Bergen. We study government’s use of power towards its citizens, and justifications thereof. Focus on children's rights and child protection.
Last month, DIPA hosted a book launch for Child Protection and the European Court of Human Rights: Lessons from Norway in the Development and Contestation of Children’s Rights.

More details on the book launch event: discretion.w.uib.no/2025/10/22/b...

#ChildProtection #ECtHR #Norway
November 6, 2025 at 2:52 PM
We are pleased to announce that Professor Skivenes, Berrick, and Predoctoral Fellow Pratama have recently participated in the European Scientific Association on Residential and Family Care for Children and Adolescents 2025 Conference in Zagreb.

Read more: discretion.w.uib.no/2025/10/17/d...
October 17, 2025 at 1:24 PM
We are glad to inform you that DIPA Researcher Hege Helland and Post-Doc Mathea Loen have recently participated in the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) General Conference 2025 at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Read more: discretion.w.uib.no/2025/10/07/d...
October 13, 2025 at 8:30 AM
[UPCOMING EVENT]

Join us for the launch of "Child Protection and the European Court of Human Rights: Lessons from Norway in the Development and Contestation of Children’s Rights" and a conversation with the editors Hege Stein Helland, Marit Skivenes & Siri Gloppen
October 7, 2025 at 11:57 AM
We are pleased to announce that researchers from DIPA, Prof. Skivenes, Prof. Berrick, Dr. Helland, & Dr. Loen, have recently participated in the 2025 International Political Science Association (@ipsa.org) World Congress of Political Science, in Seoul.

Read more: discretion.w.uib.no/2025/08/01/d...
August 4, 2025 at 10:12 AM
We are glad to share a new publication by our new Postdoctoral Fellow, Mathea Loen (@mathealo.bsky.social), in the journal "Governance". The study analyses European citizens’ attitudes toward public welfare institutions in terms of their compliance.

Read more: discretion.w.uib.no/2025/07/02/n...
July 2, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Excited to share a new publication by Prof. Berrick, Prof. Gloppen, Dr. Margarido and Prof. Skivenes in the International Journal of Children’s Rights! The study analyses children’s constitutional visibility using constitutional texts (193 countries).

Read more: discretion.w.uib.no/2025/06/25/a...
June 26, 2025 at 10:21 AM
We are delighted to announce that our PhD Candidate, Mathea Loen (@mathealo.bsky.social), has successfully defended her dissertation, “Protecting Children, Preserving Trust,” and has therefore acquired a PhD from the University of Bergen!

More on her defence: discretion.w.uib.no/2025/06/25/p...
June 25, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Earlier this month, Professor Marit Skivenes (@mskivenes.bsky.social) was invited to a webinar on Children’s Rights and Participation by the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)'s NORBARN Research School. Read more here:
discretion.w.uib.no/2025/06/20/p...

(Featured picture: NORBARN)
June 23, 2025 at 9:02 AM
We are thrilled to announce that DIPA's Mathea Loen (@mathealo.bsky.social) will defend her PhD degree at the Department of Government, University of Bergen on June 20, 2025, with the dissertation "Protecting Children, Preserving Trust".

discretion.w.uib.no/2025/06/11/m...
June 11, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Join us at Bergen Global (@bergenglobal.bsky.social) for the #RDVseminar this Friday, 6 June (9:00 – 10:15 CEST), where Assistant Professor Zalman Rothschild from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law will present a topic titled “(Un)Constitutional Educational Indoctrination”.
June 2, 2025 at 1:39 PM
We are excited to announce the publication of our latest blog post, "How can Norwegian child protection preserve trust and protect children? " written by PhD Candidate Mathea Loen (@mathealo.bsky.social). Read the full blog post here: discretion.w.uib.no/2025/05/28/h...
May 28, 2025 at 10:01 AM
We are excited to share a new publication by Post Doc Audun Løvlie (@lovlie.bsky.social) in the International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family. The study analyses how judicial decision-makers in #Norway confront the dilemmas of incorporating #childparticipation in #childwelfare cases.
May 12, 2025 at 11:50 AM
We are excited to announce the publication of our latest blog post, "The Nordic culture for child participation," written by Professor Marit Skivenes (@mskivenes.bsky.social).

Read the full blog post here: discretion.w.uib.no/2025/04/30/t...
April 30, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Gladly announcing that Frøydis Lønborg Haarberg, Katrin Križ, Audun Løvlie (@lovlie.bsky.social), and Marit Skivenes (@mskivenes.bsky.social) from DIPA have recently published a scientific article in the European Journal of Social Work on balancing #Paternalism and #ChildRights in #Nordic countries.
April 25, 2025 at 2:17 PM
We are delighted to announce that Prof. Marit Skivenes (@mskivenes.bsky.social), Tarja Pösö, and June Thoburn (@jthobu.bsky.social) are invited to present on "Adoption from Care" book by Research Institute for Children’s Social Care, Waseda University, on 12 May 2025 (Online).
April 14, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Join us on our #Barnevernfrokost webinar on Friday, 04.04 (9:00 CEST), where Dr. Elisabeth Backe-Hansen will discuss on licensing of child welfare institutions across Nordic countries (in Norwegian).

Find more information here: discretion.w.uib.no/event/proses...
April 2, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Join our #Barnevernfrokost webinar on Friday, 28.02, where Professor Gunn Astrid Baugerud will discuss AI-based methods for training in best-practice conversations with children! Find more information here: discretion.w.uib.no/event/ai-bas...

@lawtransform.bsky.social @mskivenes.bsky.social
February 26, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Excited to share the new publication by researchers Jill Duerr Berrick, Kenneth Burns, Tarja Pösö, Joseph N. Roscoe, and Marit Skivenes (@mskivenes.bsky.social)! The study analyses youth views about parenting, parental freedom, and child safety. More on the link: discretion.w.uib.no/2025/02/14/a...
February 14, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Professor Marit Skivenes (@mskivenes.bsky.social) was featured in Bergens Tidende (@bt.no.web.brid.gy) in an article on the child welfare crisis in Norway. Read more here: discretion.w.uib.no/2025/02/13/p...
February 13, 2025 at 8:57 AM
On Friday, Jan. 31 we will host our #RDV-seminar “Navigating Queerphobia and Anti-Gender Narratives in a Politicized World” with Ato Sogunro, Dr. Matthew Gichohi, Erwin Navarro, and Dr. Liv Tønnessen as speakers. Read more about the event here:

discretion.uib.no/events/rdv-l...
January 30, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Yesterday, we concluded another #RDV-seminar with Dr. Marry-Anne Karlsen who delivered an engaging presentation titled "Precarious Inclusion: Irregular Migration, Welfare Policy & State Borders in Norway."

Recording now available: discretion.uib.no/rdv-seminar-...
January 17, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Join our #RDV-seminar with Dr. Marry-Anne Karlsen on Jan. 16! The seminar will explore how welfare policy and migration control intersect in the Norwegian health system. More information: discretion.uib.no/events/healt...

@lawtransform.bsky.social @bergenglobal.bsky.social @mskivenes.bsky.social
January 14, 2025 at 3:18 PM
When should the state intervene to protect children?
A study by Mathea Loen & Prof. @mskivenes.bsky.social explores how values like responsibility, certainty, and child rights shape opinions about state intervention in six European countries.

Read more here: discretion.uib.no/the-value-of...
January 13, 2025 at 1:46 PM