According to research, compulsory care for children and adolescents is the most intrusive measure the state can take for a child. The child welfare system and the rationale for compulsory care have varied over time, from protecting the children to protecting society from the 'dangerous' children. The detention of children and adolescents is an area currently undergoing rapid and profound changes through social policy measures and ambitions to reform legislation.

Special youth homes run by the Swedish National Board of Institutional Care have faced considerable criticism over the years due to the manner in which way they are operated. By analyzing a selection of preparatory works concerning the Swedish child welfare legislation, our study aims to comprehend how the state's perspective on problematic children and youth has evolved over time. Furthermore, the purpose is to examine how changes in the perception of problematic children and youth can be observed in relation to how confinement is justified by the legislator. We seek to contribute to this field by understanding how compulsory care are motivated to persist over time in relation to previous research indicating that institutions often yield negative effects. The theoretical framework of this study is new-institutional theory to comprehend the content.