FRÅN POLISENS PERSPEKTIV: ORSAKER OCH FÖREBYGGANDE ARBETE MOT UNGDOMSKRIMINALITET - En kvalitativ intervjustudie om polisers uppfattningar av ungdomsbrottslighet, dess orsaker och förebyggande arbete emot det

Abstract

This study will examine police officers’ perceptions and experiences on the reasons youth become involved in criminal activity, as well as their view on the preventive measures against it. The essay includes theories of social exclusion and labelling theory. This study is based on a qualitative method where semi- structured interviews was accomplished with five different police officers from Gothenburg. Through the interviews, it emerged that the police share peculiar experience and thoughts regarding the reasons of youth crime and its prevention work. Regarding the reasons, all police officers expressed that social exclusion in combination with lack of social control and disorder can have a major impact on a young person’s adoption of a criminal lifestyle. They also discussed a perspective of being “born into criminality”. This perspective could be problematic in which the police officers themselves risk labelling the youth as inevitably becoming criminals and thus confirming their perceived social exclusion. The same exclusion that seems to be a fundamental cause of youth crime. The police officers also discussed their preventive work against youth crime. One finding that is fundamental, according to the police, is early intervention. This means that authorities, including the police as far as they can, catch the youth early before they adopt a criminal lifestyle. They highlight a collaboration that is active right now between schools, social services, police and leisure, called SSPF. However, the police officers also argue for a critical view of the matter, in which we should stay conscious of ourselves. By staying critical and doing more research will we be better and can always do better regarding youth crime and its prevention.