Commensurate measures of alcohol-related consequences across countries and cultures are critical for addressing the global burden of hazardous alcohol use. The Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI), developed and validated in the United States, is a popular measure of alcohol problems. This study examined measurement invariance of the RAPI across samples of U.S. and Swedish high school seniors. Latent mean differences in alcohol problems across countries and differences in associations between alcohol problems with alcohol use and protective behavioral strategies (PBS) were also examined. The RAPI was scalar invariant. Swedish students reported fewer problems than U.S. students (latent mean difference = −0.19, p = .047). In both samples, the RAPI was positively correlated with alcohol use frequency and quantity (ps < .001), and negatively correlated with PBS use (ps < .05). Overall, the RAPI demonstrated measurement invariance, and we found evidence for its validity across samples of U.S. and Swedish high school seniors.

Background and objectives: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is associated with health, social, and academic problems but whether these are consequences of the disorder rather than precursors or correlates is unclear. We aimed to evaluate whether IGD in the 1st year of university predicts health, academic and social problems 1 year later, controlling for baseline health, academic and social problems, demographics, and mental health symptoms.

Methods: In a prospective cohort study, 1741 university students completed both a baseline online survey in their 1st year and a follow-up survey 1 year later. Log-binomial models examined the strength of prospective associations between baseline predictor variables (IGD, baseline health, academic and social problems, sex, age, and mental health symptoms) and occurrence of health, academic and social problems at follow-up.

Results: When extensively adjusted by the corresponding outcome at baseline, any mental disorder symptoms, sex, and age, baseline IGD was associated only with severe school impairment and poor social life (risk ratio [RR] = 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14-2.75, p = .011; RR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.07-1.38, p = .002, respectively).

Conclusions and scientific significance: University authorities and counselors should consider that incoming 1st-year students that meet criteria for IGD are likely to have increased academic and social impairments during their 1st year for which they may want to intervene. This study adds to the existing literature by longitudinally examining a greater array of negative outcomes of IGD than previously documented.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Domestic violence is a prevalent public health issue. While clinical guidelines and care programs for its identification and handling have been formulated in all administrative regions of Sweden, their degree of implementation is largely unknown. This study aims to assess the implementation of one administrative region's care program, including how it is seen to align with and function in clinical practice, and any perceived barriers to or facilitators of its use.

METHODS: A survey was distributed to first-line managers for healthcare units with patient contact in the region (n = 807). The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Open responses were analysed thematically. Group interviews (n = 5) were held with caregivers (n = 15) working primarily with young patients and analysed thematically.

RESULTS: 73% of the survey respondents reported previous awareness of the care program, and 27% reported knowledge of its content. The extent to which their staff knew about and followed the care program was assessed to be relatively low. The survey response rate was 19%. Among interview participants, knowledge of the care program was generally quite low. Survey responses and interview discussions pointed to the importance of developing routines, of collegial and managerial support and of training on domestic violence and the care program.

CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the knowledge and use of the regional care program is limited among healthcare staff, including among those working with young patients. This underscores the importance of information and training for furthering the implementation of clinical guidelines on domestic violence.

In this chapter, we discuss how cultural expertise can be used to neutralize stereotyped images of minority cultures in court in female genital mutilation/cutting–related cases because, wisely employed, it may counteract possible negative effects of typification and judicial stereotyping.

Research and official statistics alike identify women from racial minoritiesas a high-risk group for racial hate crime. Still, the construction of womenin racial hate crime remains largely unstudied and the current knowledgeon racial hate crime against women can at best be described as fragmentary. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to explore the constructions ofrace and gender from the perspective of female victims of racial hatecrime. The study draws on intersectional theory and consists ofa discourse analysis based on nine interviews with women who havebeen targets of racial hate crime. The results show that the constructionof race in hate crimes targeting women differs distinctively from theconstruction of race in hate crimes targeting men. The female victims ofracial hate crime often find themselves entangled in racial power struggles between men: a power struggle in which men may show their statusvis-á-vis out-group men by sexually controlling or abusing women.Thereby, women’s bodies are used as a tool in racial status conflictsbetween groups of men, as identities, scripts, and stereotypes foundprimarily within conservatism and right-wing ideology are enacted onthe bodies of the victims.

The study examines whether school-level immigrant concentration is related to students' involvement in violence, and whether students' moral values moderate the relationship between immigrant concentration and violence. The study is based on six nationally representative school surveys conducted by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention between 1999 and 2011, with a combined sample of 38,711 adolescents. We have combined different surveys to create one large pooled data set to evaluate segregation effects at the school level. Multilevel linear probability models are used to examine cross-level interaction effects. This study shows that contextual effects impact students differently, and that the relationship between immigrant concentration and violence is considerably stronger for adolescents with weak personal moral values. The paper provides empirical support for the differential vulnerability hypothesis. Policy and practice would benefit from a focus on the further development of programs and interventions that target personal moral values, not least in schools.

Situational data have become more frequently used in research on offending and victimization. However, one outcome that has received less attention is fear of crime. The current study uses situational data collected through a smartphone application (STUNDA) to examine fear of crime as it is experienced in daily life among a sample of university students. Roughly 1200 situations reported by 129 students were analysed using generalized estimating equations. The results indicate that experiential fear of crime, in the form of worrying about victimization, is related to features of the immediate settings. More specifically, the odds ratio for experiencing fear of crime is significantly higher in places away from home and after dark, whereas social activities are associated with a significantly lower odds ratio, net of individual-level controls (gender, age, previous victimization and fear propensity). Yet, fear propensity, measured here using items that refer to an individual’s general worry about victimization, has an independent significant effect on fear of crime. As a result of the study’s convenience sample, the generalizability of the findings is limited, but a more general theoretical conclusion can nonetheless be drawn; features of settings and individual characteristics are both of importance. Further, the use of experience methods via a smartphone application provided detailed and unique situational data, which suggests that future research should further employ these methods to study situational phenomena such as fear of crime.

The aim of this article is to explore the circumstances associated with police interventions and the use of enforced drug tests and body searches against youths suspected of minor drug crime in Malmo, Sweden. There is a need for research on police enforcement practices directed at young people as a result of an increased use of coercive measures against youth and young adults suspected of minor drug offences in Sweden. The research questions are addressed on the basis of police documentation covering a period of one year. Approximately 67% of police interventions involved car-stops or police responses to calls for service. The documented grounds for the use of enforced drug tests are of a subjective nature, and detail signs of intoxication. Body searches were less often documented, and provided little insight into suspicion formation. 82% of the drug tests produced positive results for illicit substances. The results highlight the need to evaluate the utility and practice of body searches and enforced drug testing focused on youth.

This study examines whether unstructured and structured activities interact in their association with delinquency and cannabis use. We hypothesize that unstructured activities are more strongly associated with delinquency and cannabis use for those who are less engaged in structured activities. Data are drawn from three nationally representative self-report studies conducted between 2005 and 2011 in Sweden, and include 19,644 adolescents. The results support the hypothesis that unstructured activities interact with structured activities in the association with delinquency and cannabis use. The association between unstructured activities and these outcomes is stronger for those with lower levels of structured activities. Sporting activities constitute the structured activity that most clearly interacts with unstructured activities in the association with delinquency and cannabis use.

While unsupervised and unstructured socialising with peers is associated with delinquency, less is known about to what extent it fits within adolescents’ daily routine activities; that is, their general, structural time use. Furthermore, research informed by the situational action theory shows that unstructured socialising increases the probability of rule-breaking acts more for individuals with higher crime propensity. Hence, structural time use might explain patterns of unstructured socialising, and crime propensity might explain why some are at an increased risk of committing rule-breaking acts during such situations. The present study aims to connect these three aspects and examine: (i) how adolescents tend to structure their time use, (ii) if their structural time use differentially places them in unstructured socialising, and (iii) whether some adolescents during unstructured socialising run an elevated risk of committing rule-breaking acts due to their morality (as part of their crime propensity) while also taking their structural time use into account. Using a sample of 512 adolescents (age 16) in Sweden, time use and morality are analysed using latent class analysis based on space-time budget data and a self-report questionnaire. Multilevel linear probability models are utilised to examine how rule-breaking acts result from an interaction between an individual’s morality and unstructured socialising, also taking structural time use into account. Results show that the likelihood of unstructured socialising in private but not in public is different across identified latent classes. Adolescents, in general, run an elevated risk of rule-breaking acts during unstructured socialising, irrespective of structural time use. In this study, these acts consist mainly of alcohol consumption. However, the risk is higher for adolescents with lower morality. Adolescents’ time use may account for a general pattern of delinquency, but accounting for rule-breaking acts requires knowledge of the interaction between person and setting.

Twenty years ago, the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention presented a report that highlighted serious problems with regard to identifying, investigating, and sentencing offenders for hate crimes. The same problems have also been described in international research from several other countries. Since then, several measures have been taken to remedy these problems, but it remains unknown whether these measures have been successful. The aim of the present study is therefore to trace developments over time, using Sweden as a case study, and to evaluate the extent to which the problems identified earlier have been remedied. The results show that the problems identified by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention still remain despite a continuous process of reform. Theoretical links and parallels to international research are discussed throughout the article.

The inclusion of gender in hate crime legislation has been the subject of scholarly debatesince the 1990s, but only a handful of empirical studies have focused on victims’ experiences of gender-bias hate crime. Therefore, misogynistic hate crimes are primarily discussed as a theoretical or legal category of events. In this study, the aim is instead to shedlight on how female victims defne, describe, and are afected by their experiences ofgender-bias hate crime. In doing so, the study contributes insights into misogynistic hatecrimes as lived experiences, rather than as an abstract legal or theoretical concept.

Denna kortrapport innehåller beskrivande analyser av nollmätningen som har genomförts inom ramen för projektet ”Öppna drogscener”, vilket är en del av samverkansöverenskommelsen ”Skåne tillsammans mot narkotika” . Representanter från kommun och polis i sex skånska kommuner har tillsammans identifierat en geografiskt avgränsad plats som de bedömer som en öppen drogscen. Det vill säga en plats där narkotika säljs och brukas offentligt och som myndigheter och allmänheten uppfattar som problematisk . Tillsammans ska kommun och polis kartlägga och analysera problembilden, implementera en passande insats vilket sedan ska följas upp. Följande kortrapport är en del av denna process. Analyserna i rapporten baseras på anmälda brott mellan åren 2018-2021 och på intervjuer med nyckelinformanter som genomfördes under perioden november-december 2022. Nollmätningen ligger till grund för en jämförelse som kommer att genomföras efter att insatserna har implementerat för att undersöka om det har skett någon förändring. Utöver att jämföra platserna med sig själva över tid kommer också jämförelser mot andra platser i kommuner som inte varit en del av projektet att genomföras. Detta för att undersöka om kontrollplatserna har haft en liknande förändring som insatsplatserna. 

Objective: Mental wellbeing is a fundamental aspect of the broader notion of quality of life. Little is known about the mental wellbeing of university students in general and Swedish university students in particular. As emerging adults, university students typically experience substantial changes to their living conditions, relationships, and academic stress, and depression and anxiety are prospectively associated with lower academic achievement at the end of the first year.

Methods: Data from five cross-sectional cohorts (n = 7423), collected between spring 2020 and spring 2022, were compared descriptively, regarding sociodemographic factors, lifetime and past 30-day symptoms of mental health problems, experiences of bullying, feeling loved and measures of well-being. Linear regression identified protective factors for wellbeing according to the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS), and risk factors for lower wellbeing.

Results: Participants were > 70% women, 24–27 years old, 75–83% born in Sweden. About one-third had experienced physical bullying at school and about 70% felt loved and cared for. About two-thirds had medium levels of wellbeing, with one-third having low levels and about 5% having high levels. Protective factors for wellbeing included older age, male gender, feeling loved most of the time, and the grit construct. Risk factors included being an international student, non-heterosexual sexual orientation, having symptoms of depression or anxiety most of the time, and experiencing effort/reward imbalance.

Conclusions: A large proportion of students experience less than optimal wellbeing. Interventions to enhance positive, nurturing relationships and reinforce grit-related factors could support students in this challenging period of life.

The current study explores how neighborhood fear of crime ("worry about specific crimes") changes over time in neighborhoods with different levels of disadvantage. With a comparative design, 81 and 123- neighborhoods in two cities in Sweden are followed over a six-year period. Fear of crime trajectories are assessed through growth curve modeling. We consider how differences in neighborhood processes, such as social and physical disorder, might influence fear of crime levels. The results show that fear of crime increased over time in both cities and the increase was related to higher levels of physical disorder in several areas. Furthermore, the change differed depending on the neighborhood type - in highly disadvantaged neighborhoods, the fear was stable at a high level. In contrast, the largest increases in fear could be seen in the areas with the lowest disadvantage in both cities. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Introduction

Experiences of sexual harassment are common among university students. At the same time, research shows that victims and bystanders find it difficult to determine when an incident meets the criteria for sexual harassment. The aim of this study therefore was to obtain a richer and deeper understanding of the obstacles that university students encounter in identifying sexual harassment in the academic environment.

Methods

Individual interviews and focus groups were conducted with a total of 85 students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level in five European countries (Belgium, Croatia, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden) between 2020 and 2022. Thematic analysis was used to identify obstacles in identifying sexual harassment.

Results

The obstacles described by participants were found to fall into three main categories: (1) preconceived notions about what constitutes sexual harassment that did not necessarily concur with lived experiences, (2) navigating an often blurred or ambiguous line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and (3) the existence of competing interpretations of what had happened.

Conclusions

The results point to a gap between the participants’ lived experiences and their interpretations of them, which include difficulties positioning their experiences within their theoretical understanding of sexual harassment.

Policy Implications

Measures to counteract the obstacles faced by victims and bystanders in identifying sexual harassment in academia should target this cognitive gap, for instance by addressing the stereotypes that characterize preconceived notions about sexual harassment.

Aim: Extensive COVID-19 information can generate information overload and confusion. Denmark and Sweden adopted different COVID-19 management strategies.

Aim: This study aimed to compare search strategies, perceptions and effects of COVID-19 information, in general and specifically in social media, in residents in Denmark and Sweden.

Subject and methods:  = 616) from Denmark and Sweden on an international web-based survey was analysed using descriptive and analytical statistics.

Results: The results showed similarities between the countries regarding preferred and trusted information sources, use of (social) media, and psychosocial and behavioural effects of such information. Traditional media and social media were frequently used for COVID-19 information. Especially health authorities and researchers were trusted sources, representing the dominant medico-political discourse. There were no differences in negative effect and social behaviour. Residents in Denmark experienced significantly more positive effects than residents in Sweden.

Conclusion: Summarily, the study showed similarities and small differences among residents in both countries related to usage patterns, perceptions and effects of COVID-19 information from (social) media, despite diverging strategies.

Den här boken tar sig an frågan om polisens samhällsuppdrag och hur målen för polisen uppfattas av olika parter. Boken handlar om polisen som den som både öppnar och stänger dörren till rättsväsendet, liksom hur polisens auktoritet utövas, vilka maktmedel som brukas och om balansgången mellan legitim kontroll och överkontroll. Sist men inte minst handlar den om hur polisens verksamhet kan eller bör fungera. Polis – vad är det? är en översättning och omarbetning av Liv Finstads bok Hva er politi som gavs ut på norska 2018. Boken vänder sig i första hand till studerande vid polisutbildningen men fungerar även utmärkt som litteratur i andra professionsutbildningar, exempelvis inom kriminologi eller socialt arbete, som leder till yrken som på olika sätt samverkar med polisen. Myndigheter är också en given målgrupp liksom den som bara har ett intresse av att veta mer om polisen i samhället.

A randomised controlled trial was developed and implemented together with police officers working to combat drugcrime at an open drug scene in Stockholm. The aim was to evaluate a method called motivational talks, which areheld by police officers to encourage drug crime suspects to seek help. Relapse into drug crime was compared betweenthe control group and the experimental group to determine whether the treatment, i.e., the motivational talk, had aneffect. The study shows that motivational talks had a small but non-significant impact on relapse into drug crime afternine months, but the effect had disappeared at the second follow-up. Motivational talks might still have other effectson the individual or the police. Studying the use of repeated treatment might be a way of furthering the research onthe effect of motivational talks.

There is a surge in gun violence in Sweden. Prior research has shown how these expressions of violence tend to be concentrated in space. For instance, there is an increased risk of a shooting occurring in close proximity to a prior shooting in the three largest cities in Sweden, especially at open drug scenes (ODS) in socially disadvantaged areas. Furthermore, prior research has found a clear spatial connection between shootings and the presence of ODS in Stockholm. However, less is known about the patterns of gun seizures. How does spatial patterns of gun seizures overlap with shootings and the presence of ODS and how can these be used to advance police practice? Such questions are important to add nuance to the overarching view on “gun violence”. The present study aims to explore the questions by converging three types of data drawn from the Stockholm region: one on gun seizures, one on gun incidents and another on the presence of ODS. With the use of spatial data analyses, we learn whether there are systematic differences in the patterns of gun seizures, gun incidents and the presence of ODS. The importance of nuanced data and how the results can be used by the police in their strategic work is discussed. The results may advance both police activities towards gang criminality and future research on gun violence.

Background:

During the COVID-19-pandemic, Sweden introduced voluntary public health recommendations. In addition, Swedish higher education institutions shifted to remote teaching to reduce contagion. For the majority of students, this led to changes relating to several daily behaviors, and study routines, which might impact mental health.

Purpose:

This study investigates compliance with recommendations, COVID-19 symptoms, academic self-efficacy, and mental health in students in higher education in Sweden

Method:

Self-reports were collected through online questionnaires from students at higher education institutions across Sweden (N: 4495; 71% women; mean-age: 26.5 years). These were analyzed using multinomial regressions taking a Bayesian approach.

Results:

Compliance with recommendations ranged from about 70 to 96 percent, with women and older students reporting higher compliance. Most of those with COVID-19 symptoms reported having mild to moderate symptoms (30%). Mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms in significant others were associated with symptoms of contagion but not with study capacity or mental health. In contrast, over 80% reported effects, mainly negative, on both academic self-efficacy and mental health.

Conclusions:

Students largely followed voluntary recommendations, indicating no need of coercive measures. Still, many reported negative effects on academic self-efficacy and mental health thus raising concerns for enduring effects. Digital interventions boosting study skills and mental health could be a key for providing accessible support to all at reasonable costs.

Background: Improving relationship dynamics positively impacts both partners’ health among couples. However, few studies have investigated sexual and gender minority (SGM) couples’ relationship goals and their experiences toward achieving them.

Purpose: The present study investigated SGM couples’ experiences that centered on them working toward or maintaining their relationship goals over time.

Method: From a cohort study with SGM couples, a purposive sample of 40 couples was selected and interviewed over Zoom. Interviews were individual-level, semi-structured, and recorded. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcripts.

Results: Approximately half of the 40 couples identified as gay male couples, a third as lesbian couples, and about one-fifth as queer or gender minority couples. Top three reported relationship goals were 1) improving communication, 2) working on finances, and 3) enhancing intimacy. Feeling emotionally connected, career-related decisions, and improving sexual satisfaction were other commonly reported goals. Overall, most partners felt they made progress toward at least 1 of their 3 relationship goals within the prior 6 months. However, perceived relationship goal progress varied extensively between partners across couple groups. Facilitator-related themes about relationship goal progress included dyadic efforts, having a support system including professional help, and planning. Barrier-related themes included nonexistent or minimal effort, different communication styles, employment and economical struggles, and competing life and health priorities.

Conclusion(s): Dyadic efforts and support systems were key toward someone working toward or maintaining their relationships goals. Findings suggest key relationship functioning areas to target in a future multiple health behavior change intervention for SGM couples.

Dutch coffeeshops are quasi-illegal. Their sale of cannabis is de jure prohibited but de facto permitted. In this sense, their criminal acts are tolerated. Less often explored, and less well understood, is that coffeeshops also tolerate crimes against them. "Doing nothing" is a common way to manage conflict. Why and how does it occur? In this article, we use the opportunity and rationality perspectives to analyze qualitative data obtained during interviews with 50 personnel of coffeeshops in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After presenting our findings, we discuss their general implications for tolerant, and intolerant, ways to manage conflict.

Minority populations' trust toward the criminal justice system is understudied in many parts of Europe, including Sweden. This article will contribute to this field by examining the trust in the criminal justice system among the Roma community in Sweden. The aim of the study was to (1) estimate the Roma community's trust toward the criminal justice system, (2) examine what factors influence the community's trust toward the criminal justice system, and (3) analyze whether trust toward the authorities influences the Roma community's willingness to report victimization. The study used a mixed-methodology design in combining survey data (n = 610) with in-depth interviews (N = 30). The findings show that the respondents have a low level of trust in the criminal justice system authorities. According to the regression analysis, the strongest predictor of trust was shown to be explained by the respondent's perception of procedural unfairness. Qualitative findings supported these results while also highlighting cultural effects and historical processes that explain the community's lack of trust. Finally, trust in the authorities seems to be an important factor that influences crime reporting.

Denna rapport är den fjärde ur en serie rapporter som på olika sätt beskrivit Sofielundsområdena med fokus på brottslighet och otrygghet. Syftet med föreliggande rapport är att undersöka utvecklingen av bland annat brottslighet och otrygghet i Sofielundsområdena sedan fastighetsägarorganisationen BID Sofielund initierades. Ambitionen är att rapporten ska bidra med kunskap och lärdomar om BID-inspirerade samarbeten och vilka potentiella effekter ett sådant samarbete kan ha på utvecklingen av bland annat brott och otrygghet i lokalområdet.

Background: Alcohol-related sexual consequences are common in college students. A newly developed 41-item Alcohol-Related Sexual Consequences Scale has recently been evaluated in at-risk young adults in the U.S. The current study aims to validate the Scale in Swedish college students. Methods: The occurrence of alcohol-related sexual consequences was assessed by birth gender, relationship status, gender identity/sexual orientation, and age. Negative binomial regression was used to assess convergent and divergent validity. Results: On average, 5.4 (SD 5.1) alcohol-related sexual consequences were experienced past three months. Greater scores were reported in singles, LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning), and younger students. All sex-related covariates showed robust associations with alcohol-related sexual consequences while most alcohol-related covariates were not associated (e.g., convergent validity). All alcohol-related covariates showed robust associations with alcohol consequences while most sex-related covariates were not associated (e.g., divergent validity). In the full model predicting alcohol-related sexual consequences, being a woman, single, and younger were identified as independent predictors. Conclusions: This newly developed scale assessing alcohol-related sexual consequences could be used in both epidemiological studies and intervention studies targeting at-risk students.

Objective: To investigate perceived changes in academic self-efficacy associated with self-reported symptoms of COVID-19, changes in mental health, and trust in universities’ management of the pandemic and transition to remote education during lockdown of Swedish universities in the spring of 2020. Methods: 4495 participated and 3638 responded to self-efficacy questions. Associations were investigated using multinomial regression. Results: Most students reported self-experienced effects on self-efficacy. Lowered self-efficacy was associated with symptoms of contagion, perceived worsening of mental health and low trust in universities’ capacity to successfully manage the lockdown and transition to emergency remote education. Increased self-efficacy was associated with better perceived mental health and high trust in universities. Conclusion: The initial phase of the pandemic was associated with a larger proportion of students reporting self-experienced negative effects on academic self-efficacy. Since self-efficacy is a predictor of academic performance, it is likely that students’ academic performance will be adversely affected. 

I takt med att den högre utbildningen demokratiserats genom breddad rekrytering tar personer som brytermot akademins mansnorm, heteronorm och vithetsnorm allt större plats i den högre utbildningen. Dennatrend syns både i studentgrupper och bland universitetets forskare och lärare. I den föreliggande artikelndiskuteras dels tidigare forskning, dels preliminära resultat från en pågående studie om doktoranders reflektioner och erfarenheter av sexuella trakasserier inom akademin. Doktoranderna själva beskriver själva att eninkludering i den akademiska miljön är en grundläggande förutsättning för att förebygga trakasserier ochöppna karriärvägar för normbrytande doktorander. Därför är syftet med den här presentationen av prelimära 

This study examines repeat school victimization, and is an extension of previous research. The distributions of two property crimes (burglary and theft) and three crimes against the person (assault, threats and harassment) in compulsory schools are compared between municipal and independent schools in Malmö, as well as between school areas with varying economic status. The time course between incidents is compared between crime types and between areas with low and high economic status, respectively. The study is based on reported crime data, and is geographically limited to the municipality of Malmö. The data relate to the period 2015–2017. The study’s results show a skewed distribution for victimization in general, with municipal schools and schools in areas with low economic status being most affected. The majority of repeat school victimization takes place within a month of the previous incident, and this time frame applies to all four crime types. Burglaries and assaults are repeated more quickly in the most deprived areas, while for theft and threats/harassment, there is very little difference in the time course between different areas. Victimization differences and preventive implications are discussed based on the theories of routine activities, social disorganization and macro-level strain.

Radical violent extremism is a growing concern for the Nordic countries. In this interest, we examine how traditional criminological theories can help to explain the difference between violent and non-violent radical extremist individuals. We analyse the Profiles of Individuals Radicalized in the United States (PIRUS) dataset, with information on 2148 radical criminals in the United States, using a logistic regression, wherein violence was the dependent variable. The independent variables corresponded to aspects of social bonds and social learning. Results indicate that social bond theory has little predictive value for violence among radical criminals. Social learning perspectives were somewhat more predictive, with radical peers having a significant positive effect on the likelihood of radical violence. Socio-economic status, ideology and criminal history had significant positive effects as well. We conclude by exploring theoretical explanations, further research implications and discuss a Nordic version of a database. 

AIMS: The COVID-19 containment strategy in Sweden uses public health recommendations relying on personal responsibility for compliance. Universities were one of few public institutions subject to strict closure, meaning that students had to adapt overnight to online teaching. This study investigates the prevalence of self-reported recommendation compliance and associations with self-reported symptoms of contagion, self-experienced effects on mental health and academic self-efficacy among university students in Sweden in May-June 2020.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional 23 question online survey in which data were analysed by multinomial regression, taking a Bayesian analysis approach complemented by null hypothesis testing.

RESULTS: A total of 4495 students consented to respond. Recommendation compliance ranged between 70% and 96%. Women and older students reported higher compliance than did men and younger students. Mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms were reported by 30%, severe symptoms by fewer than 2%; 15% reported being uncertain and half of the participants reported no symptoms. Mental health effects were reported by over 80%, and changes in academic self-efficacy were reported by over 85%; in both these areas negative effects predominated. Self-reported symptoms and uncertainty about contagion were associated with non-compliance, negative mental health effects, and impaired academic self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS: Students generally followed public health recommendations during strict closure of universities, but many reported considerable negative consequences related to mental health and academic self-efficacy. Digital interventions should be developed and evaluated to boost coping skills, build resilience and alleviate student suffering during the pandemic and future similar crises.

Alcohol consumption and crime are closely linked and there is often more crime near pubs and bars. Few studies have considered the impact of restricting access to pubs or bars on crime, and the present study aims to provide more insight into this by using the restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural experiment. In Oslo, Norway, alcohol serving was banned twice during 2020, and at other times during the year, restrictions were placed on how late it could be served. In the present paper, these restrictions are analysed, alongside more general COVID-19 restrictions, to assess their association with crime. To identify these, we employ negative binomial regression models of daily crime counts for nine types of crime adjusted for the day of the week, the week of the year, and the year itself. This is in addition to the presence, or absence, of alcohol-related restrictions and more general COVID-19 restrictions. The findings suggest that both, general restrictions and bans on serving alcohol, reduced crime, although not universally across all crime types and times of the day. When pubs are ordered not to sell alcohol after midnight there appears to be an unexpected increase in crime.

This study evaluates variables concerning demographic characteristics for all adult male offenders convicted of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) aged 0–17 in Malmö, Sweden between 2013 and 2018. All convictions (n = 18) based on court documents from the District Court, the Court of Appeals and information from the Swedish Tax Agency were reviewed. A total of 30 victims were identified. Frequency analyses show that the most common features were that of a single offender, averaging 25 years old, with a non-Swedish background and a high school degree. The predominately extrafamilial CSA (i.e. committed by an acquaintance to the family) occurred in a private setting and consisted of penetrative acts. Girls averaging 13 years old were abused multiple times, under fear and pressure. Although assumptions based on these results are preliminary, they provide a clearer image of the typical circumstances under which CSA occurred within this time frame and geographical location. This study is a first attempt to construct an overview of demographic characteristics of CSA. As more data are gathered from this region, more sophisticated analyses can be conducted, providing stronger generalizations. Information of this kind may be important for research, classification of offender profiling and in case linking.

The disparity between the ongoing use of criminal profiling and the lack of empirical evidence for its validity is 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 to mistrust in the police. Research on potential explanations is in its infancy but assumes that people receive and adopt incorrect messages favoring 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 society at large.

Background:

Previous research on the relationship between social media use and well-being in adolescents has yielded inconsistent results. We addressed this issue by examining the association between various digital media activities, including a new and differentiated measure of social media use, and well-being (internalizing symptoms) in adolescent boys and girls.

Method:

The sample was drawn from the four cross-sectional surveys from the Öckerö project (2016–2019) in eight municipalities in southern Sweden, consisting of 3957 adolescents in year 7 of compulsory education, aged 12–13. We measured the following digital media activities: playing games and three different activities of social media use (chatting, online sociability, and self-presentation). Our outcome measure was internalizing symptoms. Hypotheses were tested with linear regression analysis.

Results:

Social media use and playing games were positively associated with internalizing symptoms. The effect of social media use was conditional on gender, indicating that social media use was only associated with internalizing symptoms for girls. Of the social media activities, only chatting and self-presentation (posting information about themselves) were positively associated with internalizing symptoms. Self-presentation was associated with internalizing symptoms only for girls.

Conclusion:

Our study shows the importance of research going beyond studying the time spent on social media to examine how different kinds of social media activities are associated with well-being. Consistent with research in psychology, our results suggest that young girls posting information about themselves (i.e. self-presentation) might be especially vulnerable to display internalizing symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the associations between ten family structure types and delinquency, including four groups of symmetrical and asymmetrical living arrangements. We also adjust for attachment to parents and parental monitoring.

METHODS: Data are drawn from four cross-sectional surveys conducted between 2016 and 2019 in southern Sweden. The sample consists of 3,838 adolescents, aged 14-15. Negative binomial models were used to calculate the associations between family structure and delinquency.

RESULTS: The results show that those living in single-father, single-mother, father-stepmother, mother-stepfather families report significantly more delinquency than adolescents living with both their parents. Adolescents living in "symmetrical" family arrangements, i.e. both parents are single or have a new partner, reported lower levels of delinquency, whereas adolescents living in "asymmetrical" family arrangements, i.e. where either the mother or the father, but not both, have a new partner, reported higher levels of delinquency. Most of the associations between family structure and delinquency decline when adjusted for attachment to parents and parental monitoring.

DISCUSSION: This study shows that it is important to move on to the use of more detailed categorisations of family structure in relation to delinquency. We need to increase our knowledge about the group of adolescents that moves between parents and especially about the different constellations of asymmetrical and symmetrical living arrangements.

Handledning av studentuppsatser förknippas kanske primärt med textkritik och andra konkreta aspekter av handledningsprocessen. I denna text ligger fokus istället på relationen mellan handledare och handledd och hur denna kan betraktas som en viktig och kanske ibland förbisedd del av handledningsprocessen. Från en utgångspunkt om att relationen alltid finns, oavsett om den är bra eller dålig, beskriver denna reflektion ett handledarperspektiv på relationen mellan handledare och handledd. Detta innefattar reflektioner om själva relationsskapandet, alltså hur vi agerar som handledare för att bidra till att skapa en god relation. Andra aspekter som också lyfts fram är relationens roll för studentens självständighet och hur relationen kan få en betydelse efter att handledningen är avslutad. Avslutningsvis diskuteras även några hinder för relationen mellan handledare och handledd. 

A growing share of illicit drug dealing occurs on online platforms. Technological innovations, such as encryption and anonymous payments, have enabled new and more complex ways of organizing transactions. This conceptual essay advances the study of online drug dealing by describing how governance mechanisms from markets, networks, and hierarchies are combined to reduce transactional uncertainty. Based on published research, I argue that cryptomarkets and social media drug distribution prioritize prices, trust, and rules differently, and that this can be understood as hybrid governance. In cryptomarkets, networked reputation scores are important, but their reliability is interdependent of administrators’ sanctioning capacity. Similarly, the open advertisement of prices and products relies on the ability to expose fraudulent vendors. On social media, buyers prioritize easy access and fast delivery and characteristics of market governance, while hierarchical rules are absent, and networked reputations play only a small role. Existing typologies of drug dealing organization do not capture these combinations of governance mechanisms. Hybrid governance and the interdependence of several governance mechanisms better capture the empirical reality of new and emerging modes in online drug distribution.

Globalisering och internationellt berikade lärandemiljöer värderas högt i högre utbildning idag. För att möta denna efterfrågan påbörjades en utvecklingsprocess att internationalisera mastersprogrammet på institutionen för kriminologi vid Malmö universitet. Internationalisering inom forskning som bedrevs på institutionens var redan etablerad och internationella utbytesavtal existerade också men utnyttjades endast på en väldigt begränsad nivå då institutionen inte hade kurser på engelska. Studenter som studerade på programmen kunde åka iväg på utbyte men inga inkommande utbytesstudenter kom in. Engelska som undervisningsspråk introducerades därför. Denna text beskriver planen, implementeringen och utvärderingen av denna utvecklingsprocess. Processen omfattar en initial omvärldsanalys, stödjande seminarier och workshops för både studenter och medarbetare samt en processutvärdering. Avslutningsvis presenteras reflektioner kring processen samt konkluderande kommentarer från programmets externa utvärdering.  

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) poses severe threats to women’s health and rights. This study investigates the role of country context and gender equality in shaping individual perceptions of the severity of IPVAW. Multilevel logistic regression analyses of a Eurobarometer survey on attitudes toward IPVAW from 27 EU states showed that male gender, young age, low education, low self-assessed social position and particularly perceiving IPVAW as uncommon were associated with perceiving IPVAW as less severe. The likelihood of perceiving IPVAW as less severe was higher in countries with low gender equality. Between-country variance accounted for 14% of the variability, while country-level gender equality accounted for 22% of the between-country variance. We conclude that efforts toward strengthening perceptions of IPVAW as a severe issue should focus on awareness-raising and on increasing country-level gender equality.

Much previous research on the fear of crime has focused on why some individuals, with certain characteristics, experience more or less fear of crime than others. However, there is also a growing body of research examining the role that the neighbourhood context in which individuals reside plays in shaping such feelings and perceptions. At the same time, less research has been directed at understanding why certain small-scale micro-places evoke feelings of unsafety and fear of crime.

The aim of this dissertation is to contribute to improving the current state ofthe research focused on place, the fear of crime, and related methodological issues. The dissertation includes four original empirical research papers. Study I is based on a case study evaluating the impact of camera surveillance and examines what role the operationalization of place may play for the results and interpretation of a given study.

The findings show that different operationalizations may indeed produce different results, and that the choice of operationalization must be carefully considered in the context of study design. Study II uses responses to an open-ended survey question from three waves of the Malmö Community Survey (2012, 2015, 2018) to chart the spatial concentration and temporal stability of unsafe locations.

The findings show that locations perceived as unsafe by city inhabitants are concentrated to a very small proportion of the urban space, and that there is a temporal stability in unsafe locations over time. Study III further explores unsafe locations by examining the spatial risk factors associated with these unsafe locations and the role played by neighbourhood collective efficacy and disorder. The results show that a number of spatial risk factors are correlated with the outcome, suggesting that the physical environment has a role to play in shaping people’s perceptions of unsafety at a given location. The findings also show that there are major between neighbourhood variations in unsafe locations, but that neighbourhood collective efficacy and disorder play only a limited role in the explanation of this variance. The final paper, Study IV, is a methodological study focused on the feasibility of using an alternative approach to studying fear of crime, as a momentary event, and uses an experience research framework implemented using a smart phone application (STUNDA). The general conclusion is that it is feasible to conduct research on the fear of crime using a smartphone application, but that emerging methods may also involve new methodological issues and challenges.

The four studies have both methodological and theoretical implications, suggesting that the way place is defined and operationalized may have important impacts on the results and interpretations of research studies. In addition, the findings suggest that there is more to be learned about the fear of crime as a context-specific experience that is dependent on the immediate environment, and that alternative methodological approaches focused on surveying momentary experiences of fear of crime using smartphone applications seem to be feasible. A place-based approach to the fear of crime, supported by alternative measures and methods, may also be important in developing a broader understanding of how perceptions of fear of crime and unsafety are shaped. Such an understanding may in turn assist policymakers and practitioners to design knowledge-based interventions to reduce fear of crime and feelings of unsafety.

According to the Situational Action Theory, stronger morality inhibits the perception of alternatives to law-breaking action, thus lessening the probability of crime and delinquency. Research indicates that morality might be affected by delinquent peer association and in turn affect criminogenic exposure. This article studies how morality develops during late adolescence using data from the longitudinal project Malmo Individual and Neighbourhood Development Study. Using linear growth modelling, the study finds that a decrease in morality is associated with a simultaneous increase in delinquency peer association. No change in criminogenic exposure was detected. The results are discussed alongside theoretical and methodological implications.

Integration, invandring och kriminalitet är frågor som legat högt på dagordningen de senaste åren. För ett par veckor sedan återaktualiserades frågan än en gång i och med att kravaller utbröt i flera svenska städer efter att den dansk-svenska politikern Rasmus Paludan bränt koraner under sina manifestationer. Samtidigt görs det nu, och sedan länge, mycket för att stärka integrationen, och för att bättre inkludera de som inte känner sig delaktiga i samhället. Ett exempel på det är Bygga Broar, som sedan 2016  har arbetat mot hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck samt för mänskliga rättigheter och integration.[1] Bygga Broar handlar i huvudsak om att ge personer som arbetar med vårdnadshavare till barn bättre förståelse för, och förmåga att kommunicera kring, frågor som relaterar till integration, mänskliga rättigheter samt hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck.[2] Genom att yrkesverksamma som arbetar med barn och unga får utbildning i dessa frågor kan de nå ut till vårdnadshavare, och i förlängningen förbättra levnadsvillkoren för barn och unga i samhället.

Bygga Broar är bara ett av många exempel på insatser som görs för att motverka olika problem kopplat till integration i Sverige. Samtidigt vet vi egentligen mycket lite om ifall det som görs uppnår målen om förbättrad integration - eller om det ens är rimligt att det skulle kunna leda till att målen uppnås. Vi verkar alltså i något av en paradox, med ett viktigt problem som ligger högt på den politiska och mediala dagordningen, och som engagerar eldsjälar - men där vi egentligen inte vet så mycket om det hela utifrån en akademisk syn på kunskap och förståelse.

Vi har ett pussel som alla vill prata om, men där bitarna ligger huller om buller utan att någon ens försöker lägga pusslet.

I det sammanhanget är denna utvärdering tänkt. Vi vill försöka placera en av alla pusselbitarna på rätt plats, genom att försöka besvara huruvida Bygga Broars verksamhet rimligen kan uppnå de mål som finns. Stämmer den verksamhet som Bygga Broar vill genomföra överens med de mål som ska uppnås? Fungerar det som faktiskt görs på det sätt som det är tänkt att fungera? Är det rimligt att Bygga Broar kan bidra till förbättrad integration och minskat hedersvåld? Det är exempel på frågor som denna utvärdering vill besvara, för att på så sätt bidra till byggandet av ett bättre samhälle. Utvärderingen utgår till stor del från intervjuer, och speglar därmed primärt hur de som deltagit i Bygga Broars utbildning eller annan verksamhet upplevt det.