Mass media play an important role in shaping public perceptions about different thematics, including crime and justice. The consumption of mediatic contents in different forms, such as newspapers, television news and crime dramas, can affect the way people perceive and interpret concepts as deviance and punishments, the attitude towards the criminal system and the level of concern for becoming a victim. In the last years, Streaming Videos On Demand platforms have made easier the access and the consumptions of contents as crime dramas; the changes in the modality of fruition have been followed by changes in the representation of characters, with the introduction and the increasing diffusion of morally ambiguous figures. This opens new possibilities of research, particularly regarding the modes of representation of criminals as antiheroes. The purpose of the article is then to investigate how the figure of the offender is constructed as antihero in four Original Netflix Productions (You, Narcos, Ozark, La Casa de Papel). A Critical Discourse Analysis of two narrative themes is conducted combining Marxist and Postmodernist interpretative approaches.

The present study aims to explore the role of self-control, morality and lifestyle risk (core elements of Situational Action Theory-SAT) on adolescent victimization. Although previous studies produced plenty of support to the influence of self-control and lifestyle risk on victimization, no study so far measured level of morality as predictor of victimization. The study focuses especially on exploring the effect of morality in causation of victimization among adolescent. Analyses are based on data collected for Malmö Individual and Neighbourhood Development Study (MINDS) during 2011-12, when adolescents attained at the age between 16 and 17. Pearson’s correlation and binary logistic regression are run to examine relation and the magnitude of effect of each predictor. Strong relation of adolescent victimization with lifestyle risk and self-control is revealed in this study, that awarded strong support to the existing studies. A correlation between morality and victimization among adolescent also identified. Overall findings step-ahead the possibilities of application of the core elements (morality, self-control and lifestyle risk) of SAT in explanation of victimization. Gender remains as a strong predictor of adolescent victimization, where significant gender differences in level of morality is identified.

Hate crime has emerged as a new ‘crime problem’ in Denmark, which has led to legislative adjustments and requirements of the police to improve identification, registration and handling of hate crime. International research shows that the investigation of hate crime is a complex issue not least because hate crime is legally not a crime category but an aggravating circumstance in principle to any crime. There exist no studies of hate crime policing in Denmark, and this study aims to fill a knowledge gap by a qualitative exploration of the processing of hate crime in the criminal justice system in a Danish context and from the perspective of the police, which is a relatively overlooked perspective. Specifically, the study explores why many hate crimes are filtered out through the criminal justice system, and through a thematic analysis the study identifies a number of challenges on a legal, organizational and practise level, that all contributes to a filtering out of hate crime throughout the Danish criminal justice system. Goldstein’s theory of problem-oriented policing is used as framework to discuss the implications of law in hate crime policing. The Danish police is expected to deal more effectively with the hate crime problem, and more knowledge on what works in hate crime policing is needed.

Keywords: Hate crime, investigation, criminal justice processing, problem-oriented policing, thematic analysis.  

Fängelsestraffet framställs många gånger som en händelse i individens liv som försvårar för honom eller henne att lyckas i framtiden, exempelvis med att finna och behålla en bostad eller ett arbete. Tidigare forskning har dock påvisat att fängelsestraffet och dess innehåll kan vara faktorer som bidrar till att en individ upphör med brottslighet. Syftet med aktuell studie har därmed varit att i en svensk kontext undersöka fängelsestraffets betydelse för en minskad återfallsrisk i kriminalitet efter frigivning samt fängelsestraffets eventuella position som vändpunkt. Detta med främsta utgångspunkt i Robert J. Sampson och John H. Laubs teoretiska diskussion kring vändpunkter. Metoden som har använts i studien är av kvalitativ karaktär och sju semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med medlemmar från föreningen KRIS. Studiens slutsatser visar att fyra av sju respondenter upplever något av sina fängelsestraff som en vändpunkt. Resterande tre respondenter upplever dock att fängelsestraffet hade kunnat bli en vändpunkt för dem, om fängelsevistelsen hade varit utformad på ett annat sätt. Av de fyra respondenter som menar att fängelsestraffet har varit en vändpunkt, uttrycker tre av dem att fängelsevistelsen kom in vid rätt tidpunkt i deras liv och därmed fick positionen som en vändpunkt. Externa faktorers inverkan på fängelsestraffets betydelse som vändpunkt verkar därmed vara betydande. De externa faktorer som verkar har störst inverkan på denna process är plötsliga och negativa sjukdoms- och/eller familjerelaterade händelser. Även om inte alla respondenter upplever fängelsestraffet som en vändpunkt, menar sex av dem att fängelsevistelsen trots allt har haft någon form av betydelse för dem. Framförallt beskrivs fängelset som en ”viloplats”, där respondenterna har fått komma bort från missbruket och kriminaliteten utanför murarna.

Fildelning av upphovsrättsskyddad egendom har ökat i stor utsträckning efter inträdet av ny media och nya kommunikationskanaler. Målet med denna studie är att undersöka om företag behandlas enligt samma normativa standard som vanliga individer när de utsätts för ett brott. Christies teori om det ideala offret används för att analysera brottsmål rörande fildelning i Sverige mellan 2005 och 2011. Resultatet har, i flera bemärkelser, omformulerat hur offerskapet i sig konstitueras; den individ som är det ideala offret är inte svag och försvarslös utan en person med hög social status och inflytande. Företagen i studien behandlas således som objektiva agenter och deras status som offer ifrågasätts inte av domstolarna.

The present paper extends previous research in terms of integrating social learning with morality theories, under the framework of moral educators’ and their conflicting moral influences. Specifically, this study aims to investigate the impact of witnessing moral educators breaking (their) moral teachings on individual’s morality and criminal behavior using a sample of two countries, Sweden and Greece, with similar population but entirely different cultural and social characteristics. We focus on three research questions regarding the correlations and (i) the explanatory influence of witnessing this conflict on moral emotions and values by gender and country, (ii) its impact on traditional crime by gender and country and (iii) the impact that witnessing the conflict and morality mutually have on traditional crime in the two countries. Our findings emerge in three key points. First, we found that witnessing moral educators influenced both moral emotions differentially in each country and gender, but only affected Swedish males’ moral values. Secondly, our results showed that witnessing moral educators can explain a moderate to small variance of traditional crime only for males in the two countries. Lastly, we found that witnessing moral educators together with morality can explain a moderate variance of traditional crime in the two countries, while gender is highly important for both countries. Findings are discussed in relation to theory and previous research. Future research is recommended in order to expand the understanding of the cultural and social learning processes that inhibit (im)moral contexts and subsequently affect morality and offending.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about several restrictions throughout society which has limited people's outdoor activities and forced individuals to stay home. These circumstances have possibly had an impact on the prevalence of domestic violence and other types of assault. This paper uses police crime data from the first six months of 2020 to analyse if any changes in domestic violence can be attributed to the implementation of COVID-19 restrictions in Sweden. Using the LUPP method, developed by The Swedish Council for Crime Prevention (BRÅ), this paper investigates weekly changes in crime compared to the same period in 2019 while additionally studying the prevalence of different types of relationships between the victim and offender. Results indicate that partner violence for men has doubled in relation to all assault crimes, and that partner violence for women has also increased substantially, accounting for 46 % of total assault crimes in the observed period. Abuse by family members, other acquaintances, and unknown persons have seemingly gone down in 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. A concluding regression analysis reveals weak to moderate correlations between changes in domestic violence- and non-domestic violence crimes and COVID-19 restrictions, even when changes in seasonality is accounted for. While the increase in domestic violence crimes does not directly coincide with the emergence of COVID-19, results indicate that the implemented restrictions have played an important role in maintaining heightened levels throughout the observed period. Future research is advised to continue testing for correlations to COVID-19 restrictions, while also considering other variables which could be related to domestic violence, such as increased alcohol consumption at home, family isolation, and economic stress. 

An apparent consistent finding, in Sweden and in the rest of the Western World, is that female criminality is increasing more than male criminality: if men still commit way more crimes, the gap between the sexes is narrowing.The aim of this thesis is to continue previous research, by studying female crime trends in Sweden. The data used comes from Swedish official crime statistics regarding women prosecuted for or suspected of a crime and covers a time period going from 2000 to 2020. The crimes of relevance in this thesis are the crimes of murder and manslaughter, assault, and gross assault. Finally, women are divided into various age groups to compare the evolution of each of them.The main findings of this study are that the number of women prosecuted for crimes against life and health seems to be overall decreasing, but this decrease is more pronounced for women aged below 21, and for the most serious crimes. On the other hand, the gap between suspected and prosecuted women is increasing, especially for women aged 21 or more. Finally, it seems that if at the beginning of the century women aged below 21 were the main female perpetrators of assault, this has changed, with older women now being more suspected and prosecuted for this crime.

The victim-offender overlap has been extensively studied and documented over the last decades. Various studies have identified young men as the most common victims of violent assault, yet the public, the media, but also criminological research have actively favored the discourse on the ideal victim. Consequently, not much is known about how victim-offenders experience and perceive victimization. The present systematic literature review aims to analyze how violent victimization is experienced and narrated by male victim-offenders in the context of hegemonic masculinity. Secondly, it aims to analyze in how far the public’s attitudes of victim blaming and victim concern are affected by a belief in a just world. Collectively, these findings aim to create a better understanding of criminal men’s victim identities. The public’s empathy and concern are reserved to the innocent and vulnerable victim; criminal men are perceived as culpable and deserving of victimization. The latter use violence as an instrument of dominance and subordination, in line with hegemonic masculinity beliefs, and reject the victim identity (antithesis of masculinity), forming a new category of the nonideal victim.

Introduction. This study examines the age-specific risk factors associated with radicalization that could contribute to Swedish research and responsible investigative authorities. Specific knowledge of individual risk factors for radicalization is remarkably limited, especially compared to what we know about other forms of violence. Methods. A total of 1240 cases are included after a data cleaning of the PIRUS- dataset. An exploratory factor analysis examined youths (<21), adults (>22), and a no age-specific group. Results. The younger population tends to have more often been abused as a child, had some traumatic experience, and are currently part of a gang. In comparison, the older population tend to have alcohol or drug abuse problems and more unstructured time, have a radicalized friend and have actively searched for their radicalized group. The All-group shares a variety of variables with the age-specific groups. Conclusion. The results imply a need for specified risk factors according to age. The age-specific analysis provides a deepened understanding of age-specific risk factors that contribute to radicalization and make individuals susceptible to radicalized groups. Since different authorities are responsible for minors and adults and already work with a risk factor approach, the findings in this essay imply that the authorities should investigate their current policies and update them to age-specific risk factors if necessary.

The study of serial killer collaboration has received little attention in academia. While current explanatory theories of serial homicide can include subtypes of serial killers that operate alone, the study of collaborating serial killers has been neglected. In this paper, an integrated, explanatory theory of serial killer collaboration is proposed. The theory builds on concepts from social learning theory, the trauma control model, and relational self theory and aims to examine what interpersonal dynamics that characterize the partnerships of collaborating serial killers. Five cases of collaborating serial killers have been analyzed and compared with focus on individual life histories and how these are reflected in the interpersonal dynamics in serial killer collaboration. The study found that serial killer collaboration is fundamentally characterized by a mutual need for human connection and approval, and that sociocultural role expectations affect the interpersonal dynamics of collaborating serial killers in terms of dominance, victim-preference, victim-acquisition, and method of murder.

Detta examensarbete undersöker riskerna med elektronisk identifiering, mer specifikt säkerhetsrisker kring enheten BankID i Sverige. Idag används BankID i stor utsträckning, men elektronisk identifiering kommer också med vissa risker när det gäller identitetsrelaterade brott. I Sverige var brottstypen som ökade mest det senaste året mätt i anmälda brott, bedrägerier som huvudsakligen begåtts genom informationsteknik. Arbetet syftar därför till att undersöka vilka säkerhetsrisker som finns med den elektroniska identifieringen BankID, och hur Polismyndigheten och Ekobrottsmyndigheten bekämpar brott på detta område. Resultatet visar att den största säkerhetsrisken med BankID är användare/kunder som kan luras. Gärningsmän använder olika metoder för att få tillgång till andra personer BankID. Vad gäller hur Polismyndigheten och Ekobrottsmyndigheten bekämpar brott riktade mot elektronisk identifiering är resultatet delvis bristfälligt på grund av att Ekobrottsmyndigheten inte är representerade. Utifrån polisens perspektiv så undersöker de bedrägeri avseende BankID så som de gör med alla andra brott, men brottet har generellt en lägre prioritet inom myndigheten. Polisen samarbetar med olika aktörer samt bidrar båda till att utveckla produktens säkerhet och informera kunderna om säkerhet och risker avseende BankID.

Deliberate firesetting is a dangerous behavior that is associated with considerable costs annually. It has been estimated that young people under the age of 18 are responsible for a large proportion of all firesetting incidents. Moreover, firesetting has been linked to serious antisocial and aggressive behaviors and behavioral difficulties among juveniles and has been found to predict later delinquency, which makes this an important area to study. Some previous studies have found support for the importance of factors akin to self-control, e.g., impulsivity, for juvenile firesetting. This study applied an aspect of situational action theory (SAT), where self-control is viewed as part of crime propensity, but of lesser importance than morality, to the study of juvenile firesetting for the first time. Analyzing self-report data from two waves of the longitudinal Malmö Individual and Neighbourhood Development Study (MINDS), this study examines a key proposition of situational action theory, namely that morality is more important than self-control and that self-control is relevant in the explanation of crime (firesetting) only for individuals with lower levels of morality. The results indicate support for this proposition.

Through qualitative interviewing and narrative analysis, this study sought to illuminate and examine the life story of a formerly incarcerated Trinidadian woman. To gain insight into her experiences across the life course, criminal and conventional, I conducted two semi-structured interviews with the same woman in the context of Trinidad and Tobago, focusing on experiences of motherhood, interpersonal relationships, employment, and those of incarceration. The aim was to uncover the events and relationships that the study participant presented as the most significant and determinative in her life story. Through narrative analysis, I also sought to understand how they could be further interpreted through four tenets of life course theory: agency, interpersonal relationship effects, events’ timing and sequence, and the historical context. Narrative analysis identified victimisation, the subsequent undermining of personal agency, motivated advocacy and motherhood’s responsibilities as the narratives that were most central to the participant’s presentation of her life story’s trajectories. Identifying both events and personal interpretations of those events, I have posited that qualitative narrative analysis paired with a life course approach can identify experiences crucial to the development and motivation of criminal behaviour. I have also put forward that a greater focus on qualitative research into female offenders’ life histories in the Caribbean region would serve to deepen both the global and regional knowledge bases, and to better inform public policy with offender-oriented insight.

Män som utsatts för sexuellt våld är ett ämne som erhåller lite uppmärksamhet både inom forskning och i vardagligt tal. Att analysera skriven medias framställning av sexuellt våldsutsatta män har så vitt jag vet inte utförts i en svensk vetenskaplig kontext innan, vilket gör denna studie unik i sitt slag. Studiens primära syfte var att undersöka hur män som utsatts för sexuellt våld framställs i skriven media. Jag ville se huruvida media bekräftar eller förkastar de sociala myterna kring ämnet. Vidare så var målet med studien att ytterligare belysa ämnet för att lyfta upp det för diskussionen och fördjupa förståelsen och kunskapen för ämnet. Fyrtio journalistiska artiklar samlades in genom en systematisk litteratursökning och har utgjort det empiriska materialet i studien som sedan bearbetades genom en form av diskursanalys. De myter som testades var; Män som utsatts för sexuellt våld är extremt ovanligt – framställs som sensationellt och med skepticism, Definitioner om det sexuella våldet mot män – präglas av grovt fysiskt våld, hot, ofta med vapen och droger, Det sexuella våldets könstypiska uppdelning – händelsen framställs som en kontrast mellan femininiteter och maskuliniteter, De efterföljande konsekvenserna – dessa förminskas eller negligeras och offer bemöts negativt av omgivningen. Resultatet visade att myterna till väldigt stor del bekräftades i den mediala framställningen, i synnerlighet ämnets ovanlighet, det fysiska våldet, offerbeskyllningen och det skeptiska bemötandet/rapporteringen. Varför ämnet framställs på ett visst sätt analyseras och presenteras med tidigare forskning som teoretisk bakgrund.

Firearm-related violence in Sweden is a growing concern as, compared to other countries in Western Europe, the victims are younger, and the country has a distinctly higher percentage of homicides perpetrated with a firearm. As a response to this problem a new law concerning firearm possession was implemented on January 1st, 2018 which facilitated arresting individuals for a longer amount of time. The present study aimed to investigate whether the new law had an effect on arrests and shootings in Sweden. Statistics from the National Operational Unit of the Swedish police was analyzed comparing the years of 2017 and 2018. The findings show that arrests had a significant (P=<0.0001) five-fold increase in 2018 (n=320) as compared to 2017 (n=64). Even though shootings in the country diminished in 2018 (n=306) as compared to 2017 (n=324), this decrease was not statistically significant (P=0.943). Interestingly, a positive relationship between shootings and a lagged version of arrests were found in both years. However, the causes for this might be other confounders that were not controlled for in this study such as the near-repeat crime effect found in previous studies on shootings in Sweden. In contrast to this, analyzing the numbers at police region-scale, produced a different finding. One of the most affected regions by shootings in the past, police region Syd, had a significant (P=0.044) negative relationship between arrests and shootings. This finding suggests that the law might have had an impact in this specific region. Future research should investigate this finding more thoroughly as the knowledge can be used to combat the notion of firearm-related violence in Sweden.

When a child is murdered, the most frequent perpetrator is the child’s parent and if the age of the victim is below 12 months the offender is more likely to be the child’s mother. The overall purpose and aim for the current study is to, in terms of motive and mental illness, describe the occurrence of different kind of psychiatric and/or personality disorders, to map and identify the offender profile of women who are prosecuted for committing fatal violence against their children. The data and material for this was gathered from The National Board of Forensic Medicine where the offenders have gone through a forensic psychiatric examination between the years 2000 and 2014. The cases of 28 female offenders prosecuted for fatal violence against their children were included and underwent thorough examinations and assessments. The findings depict, among other things, how diagnoses of depressive disorders were overrepresented, and especially if the victim was older. The altruistic motive was overrepresented in older victims but in younger victims it was more common with a motive characterized by delusional thoughts or the victim being unwanted. Future research needs to focus on risk factors for this specific offender group and aim its preventive contributions within maternal care and childcare centers.

This paper aims to critically analyse media framing of Far-Right versus Islamist Extremism. Terrorists and Extremists are known for utilising media to spread fear and their message. This is why researchers need to highlight the role that media play in unintentionally aiding the propaganda of terrorist organisations. 

Critical Discourse Analysis was used to create five discourse groups to examine six different newspaper’s reporting on seven different attacks – Islamist extremism and Far-Right Extremism –in the United Kingdom and France. 

Results show that there is a significant difference in both the UK and France in how media reports on Islamist Extremist versus Far-Right Extremism. Islamist extremists are more likely to be referred to as terrorists whilst there is a greater emphasis on the Mental Health of Far-Right extremists. One similarity is the predominant discourse when reporting on these events which is the political discourse. 

The adverse effects of this framing are discussed concerning effects on particular groups such as the Muslim community and also a potential security risk in media reporting when Far-Right extremists are not identified as terrorists. It is recommended that journalists are further educated on the effects of negative framing and that a line of communication is created between counterterrorism professionals and the media. 

Background. The current narrative of IPV places heavy emphasis on physical violence. Some scholars have criticized this claiming that most abuse is not violent, rather it is characterized by coercive control tactics, such as isolation and intimidation.

Aim. The purpose of this study is to examine how domestic abuse is defined in the Swedish courts regarding Gross Violation of a Woman’s Integrity. Do the courts recognize coercive control, or is the focus mainly on violence?

Results. By conducting a content analysis on verdicts from the two highest courts in Sweden, this study concludes that although less serious indications of abuse are recognized to some extent, the courts tend to focus on physical violence and bodily injury. This paper questions the usefulness of this definition by criticizing it from a feminist perspective. In the long-term, this does nothing for victims of IPV. A shift in narrative is needed to identify unseen victims of abuse.

This study identifies factors that fosters and hinders coordination among key agencies operating in One-Stop Centers in Zambia such as the police, health and social welfare that provide coordinated medical, social and legal services to the victims of gender-based violence. This is a primary qualitative study in which data was collected using interviews from participants selected from the key agencies operating from five One-Stop Centers in Lusaka province of the Republic of Zambia. Thematic content analysis was used to generate categories of data with similar meaning based on frequently recurring themes. Findings showed that although there is positive coordination among One-Stop Center agency players, there are a host of coordination challenges among them. The study gathered that information sharing, communication, clearly defined goals and agreed outcome, increased knowledge of inter-disciplinary roles and inter-agency philosophy foster effective inter-agency coordination among key players in One- Stop centers . On the other hand, hindering factors such as lack of adequate resources, high attrition of staff, loss of membership interest and commitment, and lack of motivation and heavy reliance on unmotivated volunteers were identified as major setbacks to effective operation of One-Stop Centers in Zambia. The study further found that adequate allocation of resources, joint capacity building trainings and permanent attachment of staff to One-Stop Centers as panacea to the various challenges that encumber effective operation in One-Stop centers in Zambia. Implications and future research direction are discussed.

To date, a little is understood about the experiences of mentors of at-risk youths. The present study sought to enrich this understanding by connecting with mentors from Flamman, a youths-prevention organization in Malmö, Sweden, inquiring about benefits and negative consequences they experienced as mentors, and what aspects contributed to the development of those outcomes. The study adopted mixed methods design but only one part of data collection was successful, resulting in four in-depth interviews with mentors from Flamman. The results showed numerous benefits deriving from a role of a mentor in terms of positive changes in personality and attitudes, development of skills, and practical gains. Some negative consequences were revealed as well, specifically negative changes in personality and attitudes, and practical risks, although those were perceived as less important than the reported benefits. The nature of the experienced outcomes resulted from the interaction of the three actors of mentoring: the mentors, the mentee, and the organization. The positive experience was generally characterized by the ability to make a difference, experience success, and nurture positive relationships with mentees and colleagues, while negative experience tended to result from lack of success, difficult relationships, and barriers placed by outer influences. Overall, the mentors perceived the experience of mentoring in Flamman as positive and beneficial.

It is important to direct resources to effective evidence- and value-based counter-radicalization strategies, especially within prisons. With the increasing threat of violence and terror from various violent extremist groups, such as Daesh, the focus on prisons should be intensified. While radicalization within prisons was not a significant problem a decade ago, the new recruitment strategies from e.g. Daesh now pose a new challenge for prisons. This thesis identifies contemporary literature on radicalization, deradicalization, and violent extremism within a prison context. From this seven recurrent themes were identified: overcrowding, religious chaplains, sectioning, risk assessment, monitoring and supervision, rehabilitation programs and education of staff. This was then used to develop an assessment model, which was based on the Canadian Risk-Need-Responsivity model’s three core principles, for evaluating and conducting counterradicalization strategies. The assessment model was then used as a framework for a comparative analysis of the Danish and Swedish Prison and Probation Services’ counter-radicalization strategies within prisons. The results show that both countries adhered to a degree to the assessment model and current literature within the field. The results further reveal that there is a lack of empirical evidence and data on radicalization and counter-radicalization within prisons, and that the data available is somewhat outdated.

Police officer has been conventionally regarded as a masculine occupation, where values such as strength, aggressivity and, bravery are commemorated. In Sweden, a country that is highly regarded for its gender equality status, understanding how police officers navigate gendered expectations is crucial to understand the implications of gender in policing. The aim of this thesis is to understand the role of masculinity in the everyday practices that define a police officer. For this purpose, a process of triangulation combines discourse analysis of the National education plan for police and the three videos from the campaign “Are you ready for a bigger assignment?” [“Är du redo för en större upgift?”], together with the narrative interviews of six police officers. The findings show that masculinity works as a normative standard in police work and influences narratives and role constructions of crime and justice. Policewomen are excluded through the diffusion of stories about risky situations, discursive gendered boundaries and ‘punishing’ feminine practices.

Building on past research, this paper focuses on how previous victimization experiences, sympathy with a political party, and other social factors influence safety feelings at nighttime in public places in Germany. Using the micro-level theories from vulnerability and victimology, the study conducts an ordinal logistic regression analysis on data from a cross-sectional study conducted in 2019 on internal security in Germany commissioned by the German Federal Press and Information Office. Findings reveal that only some victimization experiences have a predicting impact on feelings of unsafety, namely harassment, online fraud, and theft have a significant effect. Further, the study showed that only sympathy for one party in Germany, the Alternative for Germany, has a significant predicting effect on fear of crime compared to not voting. Further gender differences were detected as females have a higher probability of feeling unsafe at night in public places.

Criminal profiling is a popular method in the scientific field as well as other sectors. It is also highly used by the law enforcement in different criminal investigations. Despite such popularity, the criminological literature has been discussing the validity, or in reality, the lack of validity, of criminal profiling. Through a systematic literature review, the current study has tried to evaluate the validity of criminal profiling. Several databases were searched for peer reviewed articles focusing on the question at issue. A total of 15 articles were identified to fulfil the objectives of the study and was thus included. The overall results clearly show that there is a lack of empirical evidence on the validity of criminal profiling. The studies furthermore discuss the need for more studies in this field, not least because criminal profiling is still highly used even though it lacks a strong empirical support. Further studies are also needed in order to validate the concept of criminal profiling in relation to new crime areas like cybercrime.

Studies about hot spots of crimes have found that crimes are clustered; few places have many crimes. There is a consensus among criminologists that opportunities for crimes are important when explaining hot spots, at some places, there are more opportunities than at other places. The same applies for hot spots of robberies. Most studies done on the subject are quantitative, relatively little is done using a qualitative approach. Furthermore, little research is done in a Swedish or Scandinavian context. To fill these research gaps this study use participant observations to research five hot spots of robberies in Malmö. The research will try to answer which characteristics are important to explain why the places are hot spots and what the similarities and differences there between the places are. This will be analyzed using the Routine Activity Theory and the Crime Pattern Theory. The findings suggest that place-specific things are important to explain why the places are hot spots, but when using the theories several places are similar.

Background: Cultural projects are increasingly being implemented to help inmates cope with their situations. Nevertheless, research has been scarce in relation to the experiences of the cultural workers implementing the projects within the Prison and Probation Service (PPS).

Objective: The study intends to explore the experiences of Skådebanan’s cultural workers in the implementation of cultural projects in relation to the Swedish PPS and the inmates. More specifically, the study addresses two research questions: (1) How do cultural workers experience the interactions with the inmates while implementing cultural projects? (2) How do cultural workers experience the relations with the Prison and Probation Service while planning and implementing cultural projects? 

Method: Data was gathered from six cultural workers, working in five regional associations, through four surveys and one interview. These were qualitatively analyzed using a thematic approach. The themes found were then interpreted using Goffman’s theories on “total institution” and the “dramaturgical self”. 

Results: The results showed how, according to the cultural workers’ perspective, their interactions with inmates and their relations with PPS were mostly positive, with the exceptions of few challenges.

Conclusion: This study can give insights into the interactions that cultural workers have during the implementation of cultural projects with the inmates and the PPS, which might be helpful in the understanding of challenges and facilitators of the implementation process. Nevertheless, further research is needed. 

While research has been conducted on how to strengthen collective efficacy, there is a scarcity of knowledge regarding practical solutions. The aim of this study is to investigate how residents in a negatively stigmatized neighborhood engage in practical measures to enhance collective efficacy, while also exploring their perceptions of the measures requiredto improve the functionality of their neighborhood through collective efficacy. By utilizing participant observations, in depth interviews, and a partly theory-driven thematic analysis, this study sheds light on how neighborhood social structures play an important role in controlling disruptive behavior. The empirical findings of this study revealed that the mothers are utilizing various practical measures to enhance collective efficacy within Rinkeby, including visible presence, expressing solicitude to residents, organizing activities, and partaking in weekly meetings with the police.

This study also concludes that the critical components in facilitating the development of a widespread willingness among resident in Rinkeby to partake in collective crime prevention is through establishment of organized meeting places, reduce of negative neighborhood stigma, expressing solicitude towards residents, and stronger cooperation between residents and the police. These components are also vital to overcome perceived barriers, improve the functionality of Rinkeby through collective efficacy, but also to ensure the sustainability to maintain and drive residents' attitudes toward direct intervention. It is essential to ensure that personal cost, and time- and language barriers of participating in collective crime prevention initiatives are not solely borne by residents, but rather shared by the government.

Keywords: Collective efficacy, Collective crime prevention, Neighborhood, Night wandering Mothers, Rinkeby, Stigmatization

Kvinnan som studieobjekt har frekvent kommit i skymundan i vetenskapen generellt och i kriminologin specifikt. Det feministiska perspektivet framhåller vikten av att inkludera ett kvinnligt studieobjekt i den kriminologiska empirin, men även behovet av att vidga och förändra själva grundsynen på vetenskap och kunskap som uteslutande objektiv, kvantitativ och mätbar. Den stämplingsteoretiska ansatsen har traditionellt använts för att förklara och undersöka manlig (ungdoms)brottslighet och kan anses vara en av de teorier som blundar för den kvinnliga förövarens förekomst. Genom textanalys, där språket anses producera och reproducera synen på sanning och verklighet, analyseras här nio artiklar från Nordisk Kriminalkrönika 2000 – 2014, vilka beskriver utredningsarbetet av brott begångna av en ensam, kvinnlig förövare. Dessa nio artiklar matchas och jämförs sedan med nio artiklar vilka beskriver utredningsarbetet av brott begångna av en ensam, manlig förövare. Analysverktyg utgörs av Beckers fyrfältsmodell över avvikande beteende. Resultatet visar att analysverktyget stämmer mer överens med det manliga underlaget än det kvinnliga men att båda de empiriska underlagen påvisar ett behov av ytterligare kategorier än de som presenteras av Becker. Analysen påvisar att det främst i det kvinnliga underlaget återfinns uttryck för genustvivel och en vilja att kategorisera den kvinnliga förövaren som psykiskt defekt. Textförfattarna tycks vara styrda av en stereotypisk bild av kvinnor som icke-kriminellt benägna och känslostyrda, och män som kriminellt benägna och rationella, vilket även visar på att stämplingsteorins utgångspunkter om makt och stämpling kan vara ifrågasättbar.

The present study constitutes the qualitative part of a project with aim to evaluate the implementation of Region Skåne’s care program to prevent intimate partner violence. Due to the increasing awareness of youth intimate partner violence in Sweden, the study aim was to evaluate the extent to which the care program has been implemented, as well as what the perceptions of the care program were, in three care settings specialized in young patients. A qualitative focus group study with an inductive approach was chosen. Four focus groups with 12 participants recruited from three care settings specialized in young patients within the region of Skåne county were held. Three of the participants were not explicitly governed by regional guidelines due to working in units which constituted a partnership between the region and the municipality. The data was analysed by using thematic analysis. Two main themes appeared in the findings, with the first being organizational leadership. Factors associated was that the care program had not been fully communicated and/or implemented in any regional unit. Further, the extent to which the professionals had obtained extensive training and/or perceived themselves as supported from the management varied. The second main theme, the clinical practice, reflected the clinical experiences of various types of violence, tasks that could appear challenging such as documenting IPV, screening for IPV online and making reports of concern. The main conclusion is that there are gaps between policy and practice in all contexts where the program is to be used. Recommendations are that organizational leaders should ensure the program to be sufficiently communicated to all professionals, and be responsive to requests for local adjustments and/or insecurities in relation to following the program, in order for neither screenings, nor documentation, nor making reports to fall between the cracks.  

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka sambandet mellan kriminalitet, viktimisering och exponering för kriminogena situationer. Självrapporterad data samlades in vid tre tillfällen från 525 Malmöungdomar, varav 320 uppfyllde studiens inkluderingskriterier. Resultaten visar att mycket tid spenderad oövervakad, mycket tid ägnad åt ostrukturerade aktiviteter, mycket tid i sällskap med vänner samt alkoholkonsumtion samvarierar med brottslighet och viktimisering i varierande utsträckning. Sambanden varierar dock i förhållande till de båda utfallsvariablerna och deltagarnas ålder. Livsstils-rutinaktivitetsteorin kan förklara resultaten men behöver i framtiden ta större hänsyn till ålder. Studiens två slutsatser är att (1) brottslighet och viktimisering bör betraktas som två olika men klart relaterade företeelser i förhållande till exponering för kriminogena situationer och att (2) ålder måste tas i beaktande i forskning om exponering för kriminogena situationer eftersom sambanden mellan exponering och de båda utfallsvariablerna varierar från tidiga till sena tonår.

Romance fraud has an immense impact on millions of individuals globally every year. Romance fraud is one of the most difficult modus operandi to investigate as the perpetrator often is unknown and the funds are often transferred cross-border to mule accounts. The aim of this paper is to identify weaknesses and improvement possibilities in the cooperation between the law enforcement and the financial institutions in the work against romance fraud.  Six interviews were conducted with four fraud investigators from a financial institution and two representatives from law enforcement. The results indicate that there are multiple weaknesses in the cooperation such as dark figures and the unwillingness to file a police report from the victim due to feelings of shame and guilt. Further, there is a need to implement technical solutions such as improved communication channels in the forms of a national and international forum where information and data can be exchanged in a more rapid manner. In conclusion, it can be stated that romance fraud is a resilient and problematic crime type which presents multiple issues for all actors involved both when it comes to investigation and prevention. More comprehensive investigation into detailed communication solutions and common platforms between all involved actors are needed. Moreover, technical solutions which assist law enforcement in identifying the perpetrators committing these crimes need further development and research. 

The media can arguably be seen to have an important part in how the public view the police. A negative presentation is seen to have several grave consequences and is argued to influence the public’s confidence in the police's legitimacy. The police in Malmö have during the last decade received much attention and media coverage because of their severe issues with criminality and violence. The aim of this thesis was partly to examine how the police in Malmö is presented in printed news and what the consequences of this might be, but also to examine if the presentation of the police changed since the reorganisation of the police force in Sweden. The method used to achieve this was a thematic analysis which was used on 193 articles from three newspapers. This included a search for themes which were later compiled into measurable figures so an examination of potential trends over the covered period, the 1st of January in 2013 to the 31st December in 2016, was possible. The results showed that 71 articles were positive, 112 articles were negative and 10 articles were neutral or ambiguous. Thus, there were 41 more negative articles than positive which shows that there is a more negative presentation of the police. When examining the trends over time it showed that a change in the presentation occurs the year that the reorganisation of the police force takes effect, however, the change differs between the newspapers.

During the past couple of years, shootings in Malmö have been given considerable amount of attention and not the least by the news media. The tabloids have often been dominated by headlines which indicate an increase of violent shootings in Sweden’s third largest city. Comparing shootings in Malmö to other cities in Sweden is a difficult task as the local police collects data based on different criteria, nevertheless comparisons are frequently made. The objective of this project is to examine how newspapers portray shootings in Malmö by analyzing articles from major newspapers in Sweden. This thesis focuses on the language that is used and in the light of moral panics theory it is discusses whether the news articles in question are instigating moral panics. It is evaluated what discourses are produced and reproduced by the language used in the context of shootings in Malmö through critical discourse analysis (CDA). The main findings reveal that news media tend to promote certain ideas about the severity and the circumstances regarding shootings in Malmö that are symbolic for the instigation of moral panics. In the context of shootings in Malmö the most frequent points that are raised is that shootings are “symptomatic”, shootings are becoming normalized and shootings pose a threat to “normal people” as well. The main implications from this project is that future research is needed on the subject of how data regarding shootings is collected by to police in order to conduct research similar to this. There is a need of a uniformity within the police regarding the definition and classification of shootings in order to facilitate research that compares shootings across the nation. As a follow up to the current project it would be beneficial to investigate the social reactions to the style of journalism discussed in this paper.

Abstract

Cybercrime is a global phenomenon, that has existed since the advent of the internet. The wider population is affected with different types of crime that occur on the internet. The advancement of the internet continually brings about changes in the different types of cybercrime that are perpetrated on the internet and across the globe. Using historical criminology to provide evidence that explains the past and present phenomenon, this paper seeks to investigate the different types of crimes perpetrated on the internet with twenty one (21) peer reviewed publications. Time stamped from the year 1995 till the current date 2021 through a systematic process focusing on two variables on (crime and origin). The systematic process is aimed to answer two research questions on the different type of cyber crimes that has developed over time, and if the geographic origin of different categories of cyber crimes has changed over time. Communicating channels are the flood gate to cyber crimes perpetration, as different types of crime are centered within a geographic location and growing across geographic boundaries that are changing and developing crime type over time. More locations are developing through these channels as rapid advancement in technology are evolvin

The crimes of mass shooting have occurred with more frequency and regularity over the last ten years. The literature has included many new studies using intersectional analysis that promise a new approach to analysing the motivations of mass shooters. The aim of the study was to survey and summarise the scholarly literature on motivations of mass shooters, intersectionality, and related theories, particularly in criminology and sociology. The researcher sought to understand how recent literature used an intersectional lens to analyse motivations of mass shooters. As a result, 10 studies that included an intersectional analysis, along with alternative analysis types, were included in the review. Method was systematic literature review using the PRISMA statement. Along with the inherent limitations to the method used, some specific limitations exist in relation with the narrative types of some studies included. Results included that analysis based on personality disorders was frequent in the psychiatry literature, while a hybrid approach has been used in the criminology literature. Purely intersectional analyses are more often used in the sociology literature on mass shooters. Intersectionality theory has not yet been empirically tested in the Criminological field. Future research should focus on qualitatively measuring to what extent are the discussed components of identity prevalent in the mass shootings perpetrators.

Situational prevention efforts are a significant component of counter terrorism. Despite this, there is a surprisingly small amount of research from this perspective within the criminological field. This study aims to identify any trends in important situational factors of terrorist attacks, specifically looking at target selection, weapon use and success rates of terrorist attacks carried out in Western Europe and the USA between 2000-2017. Data for this study was gathered from the Global Terrorism Database, an online open-source database containing extensive information on over 180,000 terrorist events around the world from 1970 to 2017. The results show that private citizens and property were the most commonly attacked target overall, while attacks against religious figures and institutions were on a notable upward trend. Explosives were the most commonly used weapon type overall, however they were also the most unsuccessful, and use of explosives was on a downward trend in Western Europe. Incendiaries were the next most commonly used weapon type, however firearms and particularly melee attacks were on the biggest upward trends. Firearms were used in terrorist attacks relatively more in the USA than in Western Europe, and government targets in the USA were the most resilient target to terrorist attacks. While the terrorist threat to private citizens and property is fully recognised by policy makers, the results suggest that novel situational prevention measures are needed to deal with the evolving nature of terrorist attacks against Western Europe and the USA.

This degree project is a systematic literature review. The aim of this study is to find out what the consequences can be for teachers who are being exposed to student-related violence in their workplace. This is because previous research has shown that there are knowledge gaps regarding this. Furthermore, the aim of this study is to find out whether the consequences for the teachers can vary depending on whether they are exposed to physical or psychological violence by students. The focus will be on teachers in the teaching grade between 1st grade in primary school and the last year of high school. In this systematic literature study, violence between students’ parents and teachers have been excluded. Both qualitative and quantitative studies have been included as a basis. Result showed that consequences for the teachers, which can follow from student-related violence against teachers, include emotional impact, impact on job performance, teacher turnover and reduced confidence in school management. Result also showed that teachers experience similar consequences regardless of whether they are exposed to physical or psychological violence. Future research should focus on the health economic impact in society regarding different consequences experienced by teachers who are exposed to student-related violence, and on both physical and psychological violence when developing better preventive measures.

In 2020, COVID-19 spread worldwide, and a state of pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization. Female sex workers are in many ways dependant on the social conditions of society and have, throughout time, been considered as a highly victimized group. This study aims to gain insight into the changes and consequences the COVID-19 pandemic has had on female sex workers in Sweden by conducting semi-structured interviews with individuals who, through their employment, have connections to female sex workers. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results revealed four themes that describe the changes and consequences witnessed by the participants. The first theme entails the vulnerabilities and circumstances that female sex workers are conditioned by in society. The second theme demonstrates the economic consequences which the pandemic outbreak caused. Not only in relation to expenses and difficulties traveling but also in terms of an increased market due to unemployment and lockdowns in Central Europe. This theme also includes a subgroup of physical consequences as a result of the competition created by the increased market of female sex workers in Sweden. This has caused the women to have to take additional risks and abuse. The third theme includes the bureaucratic and social complications caused by the social restrictions enforced to hinder the spread of the COVID-19. The fourth and last theme presents the participants' post-pandemic predictions.

Background. The Swedish cultural organization Skådebanan conducted a pilot prison-based music intervention at a department of Kristianstad’s prison institution as part of their “Culture for Life”-project, aiming to bring culture closer to Swedish inmates and to contribute to a criminal-free life for this group. Aim. The present study aims to conduct a half-way evaluation of Skådebanan’smusic intervention. More specifically, it was explored (1) whether the intervention affected participating inmates’ sense of coherence, (2) what attitudes inmates had towards the project, (3) how inmates commented on the music intervention, and (4) what expectations and experiences the project leader had of the project. Methods. Before and after intervention, a survey containing three parts (Sense of Coherence scale, Likert-scale questions on attitudes, open questions on expectations/experiences of the project) was distributed to the 27 inmates staying at the particular department. The project leader was interviewed before and after he conducted the intervention. Quantitative analysis was performed but limited due to low sample size, qualitative data were subjected to thematical analysis. Results. Minor indications were found that inmates who participated in the intervention had a more positive change in their sense of coherence than those who did not. Inmates held positive attitudes towards the project. Both inmates and project leader noticed positive impacts of the intervention on the participants. Conclusion. Skådebanan’s music intervention may function as a catalyst for change and indirectly contribute to inmates’ desistance from crime. However, no firm conclusions can be drawn and further research is needed to explore potential effects of this musical initiative. 

The financial misconduct and corruption at the very top of the class system that in 2008 caused the collapse of the world economy saw no reaction from the criminal justice system. In contrast, the 2011 English Riots at the bottom rungs of society, estimated to have caused 200 million pounds of damages, produced a ruthless response from the judiciary where sentences were almost treble the usual rate. Politicians were quick to condemn the rioters as mere wanton criminals and framing their actions within a behavioural explanation calling for severe punishments. My thesis’s aim is to show that it was instead decades of neoliberal policies that pushed these people to vent their frustration through rioting. Their ensuing anomic ethic is understood by considering the rioters’ actions through the prism of both Strain Theory and Institutional Anomie Theory. To contextualise their place within today’s capitalist society I categorized them within an emerging social class: The Precariat. Through a qualitative analysis of 17 interviews’ extracts, all that transpired was their desires to be active consumers by grabbing what they could; the riots were merely an excuse to bypass the structurally imposed limits that stood before the desired higher social status. This research speaks of an increasingly unequal society, which positions individual economic success above collective well-being. These disturbances are symptoms of a deep seated malaise and of a stripped-down manifestation of what neoliberalism really is. To reverse it, we ought to implement holistic socioeconomic policies that empower people through the creation of secure and well-paid jobs, encourage collectivism over individualism and that promote better education towards sustainable living and happiness.

Background: With regard to studies on the acceptance of the police, in which neighbourhoodfactors as well as attitude and trust in the police were examined, it is above all factors such asneighbourhood cohesion, disadvantage and trust in the effectiveness of the police presenceand the preference for security that exert an influence.Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate to what extent people's own attitudestowards safety and the environment in which they live influence their Police ProfilingAttitude.Methods: The data was cross-sectional analysis of internal security in Germany 2020, inwhich 1402 people took part. An ordinal regression analysis was performed in the attitudetowards police profiling associated with neighbourhood (condition, cohesion, trust), SecurityFreedom Spectrum (SFS) and sociodemographic factors were included.Results: 46% of those surveyed stated that safety was more important to them than freedom.The results of the regression analysis revealed a negative association between age andattitudes towards police profiling, suggesting that older people are more in favor of morepolice presence. In addition, differences were observed by educational level and Germanregion, with lower educational levels and West Germans tending to have more positiveattitudes towards police profiling. Trust in the neighbourhood and the importance of safetyover freedom also showed a significant association with attitudes towards police profiling.

Money laundering is a non-violent crime, however when successfully executed it has a negative impact on society, as it tends to support other illicit activities, including terrorism. As was the case for other financial crimes, the internet opened the door for new tools that enable criminals to launder their illicit profits. One of these tools is cryptocurrency. This paper takes the form of a literature review, in order to find the most relevant and important work within the research topic, and to identify central issues associated with laundering money through cryptocurrencies. It aims to explain the crypto-laundering process, methods and features that make cryptocurrencies tempting to criminals when searching tools to launder their illicit profits. The findings of this literature review demonstrate that cryptocurrencies have more characteristics that appeal to launderers than deters them. The results also show the existence of different methods that are employed in crypto-laundering and how it mirrors traditional money laundering stages, making evident that crypto-laundering is a real threat. Due to these results, it is essential that the criminological community delve into financial crimes perpetrated in the online environment.

The disparity between the ongoing use, the overall positive attitudes towards criminal profiling and the lack of empirical evidence for its validity is also referred to as criminal profiling illusion. Associated risks for society range from misled police investigations, hindered apprehensions of the actual offender(s), and wrongful convictions of innocent citizens to mistrust in the police and their methods. Research on potential explanations to the Criminal Profiling Illusion is still in its infancy but assumes that people receive and adopt incorrect messages favouring the accuracy and utility of criminal profiling. One suggested mechanism through which individuals may acquire such incorrect messages is the consumption of fictional crime-related media which typically present criminal profiling as highly accurate, operationally useful and leading to the apprehension of the offender(s). By having some relation to reality but presenting a distorted picture of criminal profiling, fictional crime-related media may blur the line between fiction and reality thereby increasing the risk for the audience to mistake fiction for fact. Adopting a cultivation approach adequate to examine media effects on one’s perception, the present study is the first to investigate whether the perception of criminal profiling may be influenced by the consumption of fictional crime-related media based on a correlation study. Although the results provide support for the assumption that misperceptions of criminal profiling are widely spread in the general population and associated with the consumption of fictional crime-related media, the found cultivation effects are small and must be interpreted cautiously. Considering that even small effects may have the potential to influence real-life decision-making, they may still be relevant and affect the society at large. 

Digital technologies has become the leading way for individuals to communicate, but despite its many advances it may also be misused for harmful behaviors. Over the last decade cyberbullying has become a serious social health problem worldwide. It has been estimated that roughly 20 to 40% of all adolescents will experience at least one act of cyberbullying. Even though an extensive amount of research has been carried out some uncertainties remains, for instance whether there are any gender differences in experiences. The overarching aim with the current review was to analyze the role of gender in cyberbullying victimization among European adolescents. The specific aspects explored were gender differences in victimization and misused technological platforms. In order to achieve the aim a systematic review of recent evidence was carried out. Based on established inclusion criteria searches for both published and non-published articles were made in the databases of EBSCOhost, ProQuest and other sources. The selection process identified seven eligible studies that were included for analysis. The prevalence rate of cyberbullying victimization was ranging from 5% to 28%, with one study reporting higher frequencies. The findings implied a slightly higher likelihood among girls. However, the technological platforms used for victimization were similar for both boys and girls, some of the more frequently misused platforms were social networking sites, instant messaging and text messages. The review findings suggest prevention strategies are directed toward the most popular technological environments, with a somewhat stronger emphasis on girls.

Fraud targeting the elderly has in recent years received more and more attention, although fraudulent behavior against the elderly only constitute a small part of all reported fraud offences the fact that perpetrators intentionally and systematically utilizing their vulnerability should be taken seriously. It is therefore considered important to expand the knowledge regarding elderly exposure to fraud, but not because of the volume of crime rather because of the particular vulnerability the elderly possesses. The present study intends to examine how perpetrators of fraud find the elderly victims and whether or not the principle of public access to information affects elderly exposure to this type of crime. The study has been conducted through semi-structured interviews with individuals from the Swedish police authorities, all with connections to fraud and crime against elderly in different ways. Trough the thematic analysis, it emerged that perpetrators find their intended victims with the help of websites that mass-publish personal information and that this mainly takes place within the framework of organized crime. The principle of public access to information therefore tends to be an important phenomenon to consider in the work of making elderly less suitable targets of fraud.

Studies indicate that fraud is a growing issue in Sweden, outpacing law enforcement’s efforts to maintain it. There is limited research concerning welfare fraud, the aspects of prevention, and what processes have worked in Sweden. The prevention strategies need to progress towards this development considering that welfare fraud is a crime which affects every person in the welfare state. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate and analyse the prevention strategies against welfare fraud in Sweden through semi-structured interviews with six officials from the County Government of Kalmar and Skåne. The administration process was also investigated with the expectation to identify possible ways to develop preventive strategies. The Situational Action Theory was used as a tool to discuss and describe possible ways to prevent welfare fraud. The result showed that the tendency to report welfare fraud among officials is low. There is also a lack of cooperation between different governmental organisations and significant differences in the control work that varies between being thorough and absent. Although the county governments have started to examine the issue of welfare fraud, the results implicate that the issue is not as heavily prioritized as it needs to be. Future research is crucial. The controls and prevention strategies against welfare fraud within the County Governments needs to be developed further.