Per Lorentzen

Per Lorentzen serves as an Associate Professor at Oslo Metropolitan University, affiliated with research groups focused on professional qualification and practice in child welfare and social work. His academic role centers on critical analysis of child welfare systems, ethical frameworks, and communication methodologies within social work contexts.

His research spans child welfare ethics, communication with children with developmental disabilities, mentalization theory applications, and trauma-informed care. Lorentzen critically examines neuroscience integration in social work, challenging reductive interpretations while advocating for relational and context-sensitive approaches. His work consistently emphasizes ethical complexity in professional practice, particularly regarding vulnerable children and families.

Analysis of his 2018-2023 publications reveals a strong trend toward media criticism in child welfare discourse, neuroscientific accountability, and trauma-responsive systems. Recent works dissect media sensationalism in abuse cases while exploring how brain science and mentalization theories are operationalized (or misapplied) in practice. Earlier publications establish foundational work on communication strategies for care workers with developmentally disabled children.

Lorentzen actively contributes to public discourse through Norwegian journals like Tidsskriftet Norges Barnevern, addressing critical gaps between theoretical frameworks and frontline child welfare practice. His dissemination extends to professional training materials for institutions including Høgskolen i Bergen and Høgskolen i Harstad, focusing on ethical communication in developmental disability contexts.