The war within: emotional experiences of children in Norwegian child protection services

This article demonstrates how children's emotional experiences in the context of child protection services (CPS) impact their choices in everyday lives. It draws on a qualitative study examining the lived experiences of children from Pakistani backgrounds with Norwegian CPS. The data analysis shows that children's emotions are social and relational, interacting with their broader politico-cultural environment, as they are both shaped and being shaped by their experiences with CPS. We argue that analysing emotions is important for understanding children's complex lives and identities and that this can inform CPS policies and practices and contribute to framing their protection needs in the wider sociocultural and political contexts.