Narratives of Being a Helper: The Presentation of Supporters and Victims in Victim Support Sweden

The aim of this study was to determine how self-presentation is formulated in victim supporters’ narratives of their interactions with crime victims, and identify the function of the presentation of the crime victim in this self-presentation. This was done through a narrative analysis of material from 12 focus groups in which representatives of Victim Support Sweden discussed their work. A master narrative was identified, in which ideals of flexibility and helpfulness are counterbalanced with ideals of setting proper limits. The analysis also showed that helper ideals were presented in a consistent way, while the concrete helping repertoire presented varied greatly.