33 Selected topics from 2020 have seen that adolescents who are struggling psy­ chologically, have a high level of conflict with staff or other children, or have extensive drug or alcohol problems, are placed alone because the institution finds it difficult to work out good solutions in the proximity of other adolescents. In other cases, adolescents have lived alone for several months, because the institution is waiting for the arrival of an adolescent who can be a good match with the person already living in the institution. In several cases, and without being planned for, this situation has been the reality over longer periods of time. There is no assessment as to whether the adolescent should, or wishes to, live alone at the institution and no evaluation of to what extent the situation is in the best interest of the child. Prohibition against isolation at child welfare institutions Interaction with children of the same age is impor­ tant for a child’s normal development. The brain develops until well into the twenties, and normal development is dependent on adequate relational assurance, social contact and model learning.2 Isolation is not permitted at child welfare institu­ tions – neither as punishment or treatment, nor as a form of upbringing.3 It is important to note that child welfare legislation defines isolation as a child being “kept apart from their peers at the institution, with contact with staff only”.4 This definition deviates from how isolation is generally perceived,5 and lowers the threshold for when one can say that a young person is segregated.6 The prohibition against isolation also applies when an administrative decision has been passed to place a child separate from other adolecents. This means that children and adolescents placed alone with adults according to an administrative decision have the same right as other children not to be put in isolation. They shall have contact with other children and adolescents at school and during recreational activities and must be able to accept visits and move around freely.7 The same applies to children and adolescents who in reality live alone with adults without this being specifically stated in the administrative decision. However, our findings indicate that many situations where children are placed alone with adults contravene the prohibition against isolation; these adolescents can in reality have little or no contact with other young people. The use of coercive measures can intensify isolation Several of the adolescents we have met or that have lived alone at an institution in the period we have examined have been subjected to a number of administrative decisions that allow for coercive measures to be used. Many of these decisions concern restrictions on the freedom of movement and restrictions on the use of electronic communi­ 2 See for example Tetzchner, S. v. (2012). Developmental Psychology. Oslo: Gyldendal Akademisk. 3 The Rights Regulation § 13. 4 An exception from the general prohibition against segregation of adolescents at child welfare institutions may be when the conditions in the Rights Regulation section 14 concerning coercion in acute risk situations are met. This regulation requires an emergency or justifiable protection situation, and describes segregation as a situation in which the young person is kept separated from others while at least one member of staff is always present with the young person or in an adjacent room with an unlocked door. 5 For example, in mental healthcare and correctional services, where isolation refers to situations where the person is locked alone in a room or a cell. 6 See further information in Ministry for Children and Families 2000-11-22. 6621/1997. Reference to the use of “segregation” and the Directorate for Children and Families 2019-03-31. -3/2018. Interpretation statement – use of in voluntary trips as therapeutic measure in treatment at children’s welfare institutions. 7 See also Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs reference to “enetiltak’, https://bufdir.no/Barnevern/Tiltak_i_ barnevernet/Barnevernsinstitusjoner/