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Electronic monitoring (EM) has emerged as a popular tool for curbing the growth of large prison populations. Evidence on the causal effects of EM on criminal recidivism is, however, limited and it is unclear how this alternative to incarceration affects the labor supply of offenders and the outcomes of their family members. We study the countrywide expansion of EM in Sweden in 1997 wherein offenders sentenced to up to three months in prison were granted the option to substitute incarceration with EM. Our difference-in-differences estimates, which compare the change in the prison inflow rate of treated offenders to that of non-treated offenders with slightly longer sentences, show that the reform significantly decreased the number of incarcerations. Our main finding is that EM not only lowers criminal recidivism but also increases labor supply. Additionally, EM improves the educational attainment and early-life earnings of the children whose parents were exposed to the reform. The primary mechanisms through which EM operates appear to involve the preservation of offenders' ties to the labor market, by reducing the barriers to both finding a job and changing employers. Our calculations suggest that the social benefits stemming from EM are about seven times larger than the fiscal savings associated with reduced prison expenditures, implying that the welfare gains from EM could be much greater than previously acknowledged.

Public health and criminology share similar current and future challenges, mostly related to crime and health causation, prevention, and sustainable development. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to education at the intersection of public health and criminology can be an integral part of future training in areas of mutual interest. Based on reflections on teaching criminology students, this viewpoint discusses the main interconnections between public health and criminology teaching through the public health lens. The paper discusses potential challenges associated with interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. Among these challenges is communication across the different fields and their perspectives to be able to achieve the desired complementarity at the intersection of the two disciplines., CC BY 4.0 DEEDCopyright: © 2024 The Author(s)CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Gloria Macassa, MDDepartment of Public Health and Sports Science, Faculty of Occupational and Health Sciences, University of Gävle, Kungsbacksvägen 47, 80176 Gävle, Sweden; Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, 541 28 Skövde, Sweden; EPIUnit–Instituto de Saude Publica, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050–600 Porto, Portugal gloria.macassa@hig.se

The purpose of this article is to investigate how changes in the environment of a library affect thesafety conditions of both visitors and staff. Using principles of Crime Prevention ThroughEnvironmental Design, crime and incidents of public disturbance from 2017 to 2020 from librariesin Stockholm, Sweden, are analyzed and later mapped using 3D models in CAD. These findings areinspected via fieldwork visits and then compared with answers from a safety survey with libraryvisitors (N=112) and interviews with library personnel (N=6). Analysis of variance shows thatcrime and incidents of public disturbance decrease after these interventions, with clear impactson their geography. A third of visitors indicate that there have been fewer problems after changes in the library are introduced while staff suggests that training prepares them to manage conflictsituations more efficiently. The study concludes with a critical assessment of the methodologyand makes suggestions to improve safety conditions in libraries., QC 20240115, Safety in libraries

The purpose of this article is to investigate how changes in the environment of a library affect thesafety conditions of both visitors and staff. Using principles of Crime Prevention ThroughEnvironmental Design, crime and incidents of public disturbance from 2017 to 2020 from librariesin Stockholm, Sweden, are analyzed and later mapped using 3D models in CAD. These findings areinspected via fieldwork visits and then compared with answers from a safety survey with libraryvisitors (N=112) and interviews with library personnel (N=6). Analysis of variance shows thatcrime and incidents of public disturbance decrease after these interventions, with clear impactson their geography. A third of visitors indicate that there have been fewer problems after changes in the library are introduced while staff suggests that training prepares them to manage conflictsituations more efficiently. The study concludes with a critical assessment of the methodologyand makes suggestions to improve safety conditions in libraries., QC 20240115, Safety in libraries

Electronic monitoring (EM) has emerged as a popular tool for curbing the growth of large prison populations. Evidence on the causal effects of EM on criminal recidivism is, however, limited and it is unclear how this alternative to incarceration affects the labor supply of offenders and the outcomes of their family members. We study the countrywide expansion of EM in Sweden in 1997 wherein offenders sentenced to up to three months in prison were granted the option to substitute incarceration with EM. Our difference-in-differences estimates, which compare the change in the prison inflow rate of treated offenders to that of non-treated offenders with slightly longer sentences, show that the reform significantly decreased the number of incarcerations. Our main finding is that EM not only lowers criminal recidivism but also increases labor supply. Additionally, EM improves the educational attainment and early-life earnings of the children whose parents were exposed to the reform. The primary mechanisms through which EM operates appear to involve the preservation of offenders' ties to the labor market, by reducing the barriers to both finding a job and changing employers. Our calculations suggest that the social benefits stemming from EM are about seven times larger than the fiscal savings associated with reduced prison expenditures, implying that the welfare gains from EM could be much greater than previously acknowledged.

The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the development of violent crime in the geographical area belonging to the district courts of Mellersta- and Västra Värends, as well as Växjö Magistrate´s Court, during the period 1960—1970. The questions addressed include: What was the demographic distribution among crime victims and perpetrators in terms of gender, age, possible alcohol influence during the crime, and the relationships between the victim and the perpetrator? To what extent were young people perpetrators? How have the number of judgements changed over time? How can crime history be utilized in high school education? The prime material used consists of judgements from court records, and the theoretical frameworks include social vulnerability, peer influence and socialization, among others. The method employed is primarily quantitative, with the results presented in tabular form. The study confirms previous research on violent crimes, revealing that the majority of those convicted or victimized by violence during the period were men. However, one woman faced charges of rape but was ultimately convicted for assault, a charge outside the scope of sexual offences. The highest average age (31,8 years), including both men and women was found in Växjö Magistrate´s Court and stood out in the study. Concerning youth offenders, the study revealed that in Västra Värends district court, the majority (36,6 %) were in the 15—20 age group. Alcohol emerged as a recurring factor in the study. Of the total cases in Mellersta Värends district court, 65,6 % were influenced by alcohol at the time of the defense. In conclusion, the study confirms that socialization, peer influence and alcohol played significant roles in shaping the characteristics of violent crimes during this period.

Electronic monitoring (EM) has emerged as a popular tool for curbing the growth of large prison populations. Evidence on the causal effects of EM on criminal recidivism is, however, limited and it is unclear how this alternative to incarceration affects the labor supply of offenders and the outcomes of their family members. We study the countrywide expansion of EM in Sweden in 1997 wherein offenders sentenced to up to three months in prison were granted the option to substitute incarceration with EM. Our difference-in-differences estimates, which compare the change in the prison inflow rate of treated offenders to that of non-treated offenders with slightly longer sentences, show that the reform significantly decreased the number of incarcerations. Our main finding is that EM not only lowers criminal recidivism but also increases labor supply. Additionally, EM improves the educational attainment and early-life earnings of the children whose parents were exposed to the reform. The primary mechanisms through which EM operates appear to involve the preservation of offenders’ ties to the labor market, by reducing the barriers to both finding a job and changing employers. Our calculations suggest that the social benefits stemming from EM are about seven times larger than the fiscal savings associated with reduced prison expenditures, implying that the welfare gains from EM could be much greater than previously acknowledged.

Most analyses of the intergenerational transmission of criminal justice contacts compare outcomes of the second generation to the criminal history of the first generation. Ignoring the demographic process underlying transmission introduces selection bias into estimates insofar as the first generation's criminal history affects the family formation and the probability of parenthood. I study how differential selection into fatherhood across criminal histories may affect prospective transmission of criminal justice convictions. I use administrative data on the complete fertility patterns and criminal justice history all Danish men born during 1965–1973 and retrospective odds-ratio estimates of intergenerational transmission of criminal justice contacts to estimate prospective transmission of crime and the impact of differential fertility on cohort criminal justice involvement. Seriousness of criminal justice involvement is associated with earlier transition to fatherhood but ultimately higher levels of childlessness. The findings suggest that the existing retrospective estimates of the intergenerational transmission of criminal justice contacts overestimate the population level dynastic transmission. Ignoring differential fertility across criminal justice history leads to upward-biased estimates of how criminal justice involvement is maintained across generations when using retrospective sources. Population-level description of fertility trends has substantial implication for theoretical understanding of how transmission of offending occurs at the population level.

Electronic monitoring (EM) has emerged as a popular tool for curbing the growth of large prison populations. Evidence on the causal effects of EM on criminal recidivism is, however, limited and it is unclear how this alternative to incarceration affects the labor supply of offenders and the outcomes of their family members. We study the countrywide expansion of EM in Sweden in 1997 wherein offenders sentenced to up to three months in prison were granted the option to substitute incarceration with EM. Our difference-in-differences estimates, which compare the change in the prison inflow rate of treated offenders to that of non-treated offenders with slightly longer sentences, show that the reform significantly decreased the number of incarcerations. Our main finding is that EM not only lowers criminal recidivism but also increases labor supply. Additionally, EM improves the educational attainment and early-life earnings of the children whose parents were exposed to the reform. The primary mechanisms through which EM operates appear to involve the preservation of offenders' ties to the labor market, by reducing the barriers to both finding a job and changing employers. Our calculations suggest that the social benefits stemming from EM are about seven times larger than the fiscal savings associated with reduced prison expenditures, implying that the welfare gains from EM could be much greater than previously acknowledged.

Public health and criminology share similar current and future challenges, mostly related to crime and health causation, prevention, and sustainable development. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to education at the intersection of public health and criminology can be an integral part of future training in areas of mutual interest. Based on reflections on teaching criminology students, this viewpoint discusses the main interconnections between public health and criminology teaching through the public health lens. The paper discusses potential challenges associated with interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. Among these challenges is communication across the different fields and their perspectives to be able to achieve the desired complementarity at the intersection of the two disciplines., CC BY 4.0 DEEDCopyright: © 2024 The Author(s)CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Gloria Macassa, MDDepartment of Public Health and Sports Science, Faculty of Occupational and Health Sciences, University of Gävle, Kungsbacksvägen 47, 80176 Gävle, Sweden; Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, 541 28 Skövde, Sweden; EPIUnit–Instituto de Saude Publica, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050–600 Porto, Portugal gloria.macassa@hig.se

The purpose of this article is to investigate how changes in the environment of a library affect thesafety conditions of both visitors and staff. Using principles of Crime Prevention ThroughEnvironmental Design, crime and incidents of public disturbance from 2017 to 2020 from librariesin Stockholm, Sweden, are analyzed and later mapped using 3D models in CAD. These findings areinspected via fieldwork visits and then compared with answers from a safety survey with libraryvisitors (N=112) and interviews with library personnel (N=6). Analysis of variance shows thatcrime and incidents of public disturbance decrease after these interventions, with clear impactson their geography. A third of visitors indicate that there have been fewer problems after changes in the library are introduced while staff suggests that training prepares them to manage conflictsituations more efficiently. The study concludes with a critical assessment of the methodologyand makes suggestions to improve safety conditions in libraries., QC 20240115, Safety in libraries

I denna studie har fyra biografier/självbiografier producerade av tidigare kriminella tematiskt analyserats. Målet var att ta reda på vilka omständigheter som gör att individer går från kriminalitet till laglydighet. Genom en överblick av tidigare forskning, utökades studiens fokus med att inkludera teorier som kontrollteori och genusteori. Genom studiens resultatanalys identifierades sju olika teman, som var betydande för deltagarna: barn, relationer, mognad & identitet, arbete & annat engagemang, religion, tilltro samt betydelse av fängelsestraffet. Egna och andras barn skapar motivation till förändring, goda relationer bidrar med förändrade attityder till brottslighet, mognad och identitet bidrar med utveckling mot ett annat sätt att förhålla sig till sig själv och brottslighet, arbete och engagemang stärker självförtroendet i kunskap om att andra möjligheter finns, religion bidrar med styrka och tröst i svåra stunder, tilltro ger stöd och förebilder och fängelsestraffet ger tid för eftertanke och erfarenheter., In this study, four biographies/autobiographies produced by former criminals have been thematically analysed. The goal was to find out what circumstances make individuals go from criminality to law-abiding. Through an overview of previous research, the focus of the study was expanded to include theories such as control theory and gender theory. Through the study's result analysis, seven different themes were identified, which were significant for the participants: children, relationships, maturity & identity, work & other commitment, religion, faith and the meaning of the prison sentence. Own and other people's children create motivation for change, good relationships contribute to changing attitudes to crime, maturity and identity contribute to development towards a different way of relating to oneself and crime, work and commitment strengthen self-confidence in the knowledge that other opportunities exist, religion contributes with strength and comfort in difficult moments, faith provides support and role models and the prison sentence gives time for reflection and experiences.

En del av den sociala barnavården i Sverige består av hem för vård eller boende (HVB), som är en typ av institutionsvård utanför det egna hemmet. Aktuell studie syftar till att undersöka hur personal på HVB-hem beskriver institutionens behandlingsmässiga utgångspunkter och hur de uppfattar behandlingsarbetet med ungdomarna. Denna studie utgår från en kvalitativ metod och för att besvara syfte och frågeställningar har semistrukturerade intervjuer använts. Det har genomförts fem intervjuer med personal från två HVB-hem. För att analysera studiens resultat används en tematisk analysmetod. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna omfattas av teorier om samarbete, terapeutisk allians och HVB-hemmens behandlingsmässiga utgångspunkter miljöterapi och KBT (kognitiv beteendeterapi). Det som framkommer i studien är att behandlingsarbetet med ungdomar på HVB är komplext, att det finns ett behandlingsinriktat fokus samt att relationsskapande och samarbete är viktiga aspekter i arbetet. Det beskrivs också finnas svårigheter i arbetet som relateras till relationsskapande och deltagande i behandling. Vidare presenteras det att omfattningen av den psykiska ohälsan hos ungdomarna är utbredd och att HVB-hemmen inte har något specifikt arbetssätt för att behandla ungdomar med psykisk ohälsa utan att detta främst sker hos barn- och ungdomspsykiatrin (BUP). Det framkommer kritik mot bristande resurser hos BUP vilket påverkar behandlingsarbetet negativt. Det framkommer också svårigheter att arbeta med ungdomar i kriminalitet och att sekretessbestämmelserna mellan polis och socialtjänst försvårar samarbetet, A part of the social child welfare in Sweden consists of residential care homes, which is a type of institutional care. The aim of this study is to investigate how staff at residential care homes describe the institution's treatment implementations and how they perceive the work related to treatment with adolescents. This study is based on a qualitative method and semistructured interviews. Five interviews have been conducted with staff from two different residential care homes. A thematic analysis method is used to analyze the results of the study. The theoretical frameworks include theories of collaboration, therapeutic alliance, and treatment implementations of the residential care homes, such as milieu therapy and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy). The study reveals that the work with treatment of adolescents in residential care homes is complex, that the facilities have a treatment-oriented focus, and that relationships and collaboration are important aspects of the work. Difficulties related to relationships and participation in treatment are also emphasized. Furthermore, the study presents that difficulties regarding mental health among adolescents are prevalent. The residential care homes do not have a specific approach for treating adolescents with mental health issues, the treatment regarding mental health mainly takes place within the child and adolescent psychiatry which receives criticism due to insufficient resources. It also appears that there are difficulties in working with young people involved in crime and that the confidentiality regulations between the police and social services can make cooperation difficult

The aim of this study is to understand and identify the different risk factors that lead to juvenile delinquency and how social work interacts with juvenile delinquency. Juvenile delinquency is one of the main prominent discussions in Swedish society. There are a lot of youth today that fall victims to the evergrowing crime rates in Sweden. It is a dire situation that needs urgent care to stop the negative development in which more and more youth gets involved with crime. Other causes for worry are the opportunistic gang leaders that recruit juveniles to carry out their criminal agenda. As a result of the ongrowing rates of juvenile delinquency, politicians have presented notions on whether the department of social work should have a look-over and be adjusted to also include criminology as a means to prepare the social worker for the inevitable meeting with juvenile delinquency in their work. The study results found different risk factors on individual, group and social levels that can indicate whether or not the youth develops antisocial problematic behaviors that can indicate a future debut in crime. The following risk factors are of great findings that can help identify early signs of juvenile delinquency: troubling childhood and trauma, psychological causes, sociobiological causes, gender, victimization, community and solidarity, attitudes and peer pressure, socioeconomic causes, sociodemographic causes and exclusion from society, To better help understand the findings of the study, attachment theory and labeling theory were used to analyze the results. There is limited research that showcases how social work interacts with risk factors for juvenile delinquency, yet the main protective factors against juvenile delinquency are family and school. The method chosen in this study is a thorough analysis of different peer-reviewed articles and deep literature - study. The articles were found on the following sites: Psycinfo and Sociological Abstr

Previous research indicates that improving digital government services may contribute to the reduction of corruption. This study seeks to deepen the knowledge of this suggested causal link in several ways. Firstly, it adds nuance by examining the effects of two distinct sub-types of digital government services on specifically petty corruption. Secondly, it explores whether impacts vary by corruption systemicity level, which has previously been argued to to affect the effectiveness of certain anti-corruption measures. Using a theoretical framework built on economics of crime theory, I posit that the anti-petty corruption impact of digital government services varies between different service sub-types and between more and less systemically corrupt states. Analyzing hitherto unused global cross-country data for the year 2013, using mainly OLS-models, it is found that informational digital government services constitute effective anti-corruption measures in all settings. Transactional digital government services, on the other hand, are not found to have the same uniform reductive impact in all settings explored.

The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the development of violent crime in the geographical area belonging to the district courts of Mellersta- and Västra Värends, as well as Växjö Magistrate´s Court, during the period 1960—1970. The questions addressed include: What was the demographic distribution among crime victims and perpetrators in terms of gender, age, possible alcohol influence during the crime, and the relationships between the victim and the perpetrator? To what extent were young people perpetrators? How have the number of judgements changed over time? How can crime history be utilized in high school education? The prime material used consists of judgements from court records, and the theoretical frameworks include social vulnerability, peer influence and socialization, among others. The method employed is primarily quantitative, with the results presented in tabular form. The study confirms previous research on violent crimes, revealing that the majority of those convicted or victimized by violence during the period were men. However, one woman faced charges of rape but was ultimately convicted for assault, a charge outside the scope of sexual offences. The highest average age (31,8 years), including both men and women was found in Växjö Magistrate´s Court and stood out in the study. Concerning youth offenders, the study revealed that in Västra Värends district court, the majority (36,6 %) were in the 15—20 age group. Alcohol emerged as a recurring factor in the study. Of the total cases in Mellersta Värends district court, 65,6 % were influenced by alcohol at the time of the defense. In conclusion, the study confirms that socialization, peer influence and alcohol played significant roles in shaping the characteristics of violent crimes during this period.

Electronic monitoring (EM) has emerged as a popular tool for curbing the growth of large prison populations. Evidence on the causal effects of EM on criminal recidivism is, however, limited and it is unclear how this alternative to incarceration affects the labor supply of offenders and the outcomes of their family members. We study the countrywide expansion of EM in Sweden in 1997 wherein offenders sentenced to up to three months in prison were granted the option to substitute incarceration with EM. Our difference-in-differences estimates, which compare the change in the prison inflow rate of treated offenders to that of non-treated offenders with slightly longer sentences, show that the reform significantly decreased the number of incarcerations. Our main finding is that EM not only lowers criminal recidivism but also increases labor supply. Additionally, EM improves the educational attainment and early-life earnings of the children whose parents were exposed to the reform. The primary mechanisms through which EM operates appear to involve the preservation of offenders' ties to the labor market, by reducing the barriers to both finding a job and changing employers. Our calculations suggest that the social benefits stemming from EM are about seven times larger than the fiscal savings associated with reduced prison expenditures, implying that the welfare gains from EM could be much greater than previously acknowledged.

This paper reports the findings from a qualitative study of Canadian films about prisons and punishment over the past 70 years using popular criminology as a conceptual and analytic framework. We show that shifts in cinematic representation of the prison and punishment within Canada reflected both the evolution of professional, legal, and academic understandings of the purpose of punishment in society, as well as government cultural policies that shaped the possibilities for a Canadian national cinema in the shadow of Hollywood. The dominance of documentary cinema within Canadian regulatory and funding frameworks in much of the twentieth century fostered, at times, critical cultural engagements with the prison. More recently, however, regulatory shifts and commercial imperatives in the streaming era and proximity to the US market have spawned less critical and more conventional, generic depictions that reproduce Hollywood tropes and stereotypes while neglecting the social costs of prisons and the colonial roots of mass incarceration of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Using the theoretical framework of popular criminology, this paper examines the performance of gender and crime in the TNT television series Animal Kingdom. The purpose of this analysis is to identify how this unique fictional crime series depicts gender and crime in ways that both conform to and depart from traditional gendered roles, and to evaluate how the portrayal of these gendered roles may subvert and reinforce longstanding stereotypes about female criminality and violence. We report the results of a qualitative thematic analysis of the visual and narrative components of the first season of the series, with specific attention given to the representation of gendered roles and stereotypes among the main characters. To evaluate the social effects of the performance of female criminality and violence on Animal Kingdom, anecdotal audience data was collected from the website TV Fanatic. Our analysis found that the program often reproduced gendered stereotypes that were largely shared by viewers. However, Animal Kingdom also contained significant departures from traditional gendered roles, criminological discourse, and popular ideology about female criminality. While exploratory, this study contributes to the growing literature on popular criminology, viewing culture as an important site where popular ideas about crime and gender are both reinforced and occasionally subverted.

This paper reports the findings from a qualitative study of Canadian films about prisons and punishment over the past 70 years using popular criminology as a conceptual and analytic framework. We show that shifts in cinematic representation of the prison and punishment within Canada reflected both the evolution of professional, legal, and academic understandings of the purpose of punishment in society, as well as government cultural policies that shaped the possibilities for a Canadian national cinema in the shadow of Hollywood. The dominance of documentary cinema within Canadian regulatory and funding frameworks in much of the twentieth century fostered, at times, critical cultural engagements with the prison. More recently, however, regulatory shifts and commercial imperatives in the streaming era and proximity to the US market have spawned less critical and more conventional, generic depictions that reproduce Hollywood tropes and stereotypes while neglecting the social costs of prisons and the colonial roots of mass incarceration of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Using the theoretical framework of popular criminology, this paper examines the performance of gender and crime in the TNT television series Animal Kingdom. The purpose of this analysis is to identify how this unique fictional crime series depicts gender and crime in ways that both conform to and depart from traditional gendered roles, and to evaluate how the portrayal of these gendered roles may subvert and reinforce longstanding stereotypes about female criminality and violence. We report the results of a qualitative thematic analysis of the visual and narrative components of the first season of the series, with specific attention given to the representation of gendered roles and stereotypes among the main characters. To evaluate the social effects of the performance of female criminality and violence on Animal Kingdom, anecdotal audience data was collected from the website TV Fanatic. Our analysis found that the program often reproduced gendered stereotypes that were largely shared by viewers. However, Animal Kingdom also contained significant departures from traditional gendered roles, criminological discourse, and popular ideology about female criminality. While exploratory, this study contributes to the growing literature on popular criminology, viewing culture as an important site where popular ideas about crime and gender are both reinforced and occasionally subverted.

COVID-19 caused a great burden on the healthcare system and led to lockdown measures across the globe. These measures are likely to influence crime rates, but a comprehensive overview on the impact of COVID-19 on crime rates is lacking. The aim of the current study was to systematically review evidence on the impact of COVID-19 measures on crime rates across the globe. We conducted a systematic search in several databases to identify eligible studies up until 6–12-2021. A total of 46 studies were identified, reporting on 99 crime rates about robberies (n = 12), property crime (n = 15), drug crime (n = 5), fraud (n = 5), physical violence (n = 15), sexual violence (n = 11), homicides (n = 12), cybercrime (n = 3), domestic violence (n = 3), intimate partner violence (n = 14), and other crimes (n = 4). Overall, studies showed that most types of crime temporarily declined during COVID-19 measures. Homicides and cybercrime were an exception to this rule and did not show significant changes following COVID-19 restrictions. Studies on domestic violence often found increased crime rates, and this was particularly true for studies based on call data rather than crime records. Studies on intimate partner violence reported mixed results. We found an immediate impact of COVID-19 restrictions on almost all crime rates except for homicides, cybercrimes and intimate partner violence.

When Nelson Mandela was set free and millions of South Africans rushed to the streets to celebrate the long awaited democratic regime in their country, many believed that the injustices and inequalities from Apartheid would disappear. Before the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994, millions of South Africans anticipated the ability to vote to change South Africa for the better. However, only 30 years into the democracy, South Africans are now challenged with the most important election in their history in 2024. South Africans are fed up with their democracy following years of political corruption, economic stagnation, deteriorating livelihoods, increase in crime and the lowest levels of political trust and democratic satisfaction. Following the heartbreaking 30 years of political and economic stagnation and deterioration within the state, this thesis analyzes the past 24 years of political data to understand the change in political optimism within South African society. It will demonstrate the possible consequences of a democratic state that loses political optimism. And will track the correlation of key political concepts such as political trust, democratic satisfaction, perception of corruption, and political participation with political optimism. Finally, it will establish a new foundation of what political optimism is, the consequences and importance within a democratic society. Two years after the violent riots of the July 2021 presidential corruption scandals, the state could face larger democratic backsliding social movements due to decreasing levels of political optimism.

Criminal conduct is a term that refers to the violence generated in a cultural, economic or social environment and criminal conduct is usually understood as the violation of legal norms, which can be done intentionally or involuntarily, which can be caused by the consumption of some substances, some psychological damage, the social environment and even economic aspects. Understanding in this way that crimes and criminal behaviors can be intentional or culpable and in turn with the characteristic of action or omission, this gives us a reference in its form of conjunction and measurement since in this way we can obtain concrete data on what factors are the most influential for the commission of the aforementioned. In this way we can begin to understand how young people between 18 and 35 years old and adults over 35 years old are influenced by various factors that lead them to commit a crime or antisocial behavior, which in turn people in this age range who are not part of this statistic because they have not committed them, if they know or know of a family member or friend who committed one of them., Comportamiento delictivo es un término que se refiere a la violencia generada en un entorno cultural, económico o social y se suele entender por conducta delictiva la violación de normas jurídicas, que puede realizarse de forma intencionada o involuntaria, que pueden ser ocasionadas por el consumo de algunas sustancias, algún daño psicológico, el entorno social y hasta aspectos económicos. Entendiendo de esta manera que los delitos y conductas delictivas pueden ser intencionales o negligentes y a su vez con la característica de acción u omisión, esto nos da una referencia en su manera de conjunción y medición puesto que de esta manera se logran obtener datos específicos sobre qué factores son los más influyentes para la comisión de las antes mencionadas. De esta manera se puede partir para el entendimiento de como los jóvenes en edad de 18 a 35 años y los adultos de más de 35 son influenciados por diversos factores que los llevan a cometer un delito o una conducta antisocial, que a su vez las personas en este rango de edad que no forman parte de esta estadística por no haberlas cometido, si saben o conocen de algún familiar y amigo que realizo alguna de ellas.

The rights of workers are considered inalienable, there are fundamental aspects that in accordance with the current Constitution penalize harmful practices for workers, however, labor simulation despite being an evident act in this legislation, is not typified. This article presents a synthesis of the constitutive elements of the labor relationship, analyzing the different ones, analyzing that until now there has not been a legislative reform in which the labor simulation could be framed from the perspective of Criminal Law. The objective of this academic work has been to analyze a possible classification of work simulation as a crime, for which it has been necessary to resort to comparative law, reviewing the regulations of Chile and Spain. The research responds to a qualitative approach based on analysis and synthesis, as well as a comparative systematic study. As a result, a reflection of the social and economic context of Ecuador is presented, arguing that, both in public and private spaces, the ideal conditions are presented for unlawful practices to spread and prosper., Los derechos de los trabajadores se consideran inalienables; existen aspectos fundamentales que, de acuerdo con la Constitución vigente, penalizan prácticas perjudiciales para los trabajadores; sin embargo, la simulación laboral, a pesar de ser un acto evidente en esta legislación, no está catalogada. Este artículo presenta una síntesis de los elementos constitutivos de la relación laboral, analizando los diferentes aspectos y señalando que hasta la fecha no se ha llevado a cabo ninguna reforma legislativa en la que la simulación laboral pueda ser enmarcada desde la perspectiva del Derecho Penal. El objetivo de este trabajo académico ha sido analizar una posible tipificación de la simulación laboral como un delito, por lo que ha sido necesario recurrir al derecho comparado, revisando las regulaciones en los países de Chile y España, donde ya se han establecido sanciones para detener los diferentes tipos de simulación contractual. La investigación responde a un enfoque cualitativo respaldado por análisis y síntesis, así como un estudio comparativo sistemático. Como resultado, se presenta una reflexión sobre el contexto social y económico de Ecuador, argumentando que, tanto en espacios públicos como privados, existen condiciones ideales para que las prácticas ilegales se difundan y prosperen.

The objective of this work was to analyze the urban crime complexity, taking as a case study the border city of Mexicali, capital of the state of Baja California, which, according to the Peace Index in Mexico, for four consecutive years has been placed as the least pacific. For this purpose, three indicators from economic analysis were used: location quotient, ubiquity and diversity, using the records of crimes that occurred in the period 2015-2019. The results show the existence of spatial patterns of crime diversity and stability in some districts of the city characterized by highly ubiquitous crimes, which overlap each other, generating areas with criminal diversity that remain stable over time. In this way, public insecurity covers the entire urban space, as a result of an environment in which high levels of impunity and the multiplier effect of organized crime prevail., El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar la complejidad delictiva urbana tomando como caso de estudio la ciudad fronteriza de Mexicali, capital del estado de Baja California que, de acuerdo con el Índice de Paz en México, por cuatro años consecutivos se ha colocado como el menos pacífico del país. Para tal fin, se calcularon tres indicadores provenientes del análisis económico: el cociente de localización, la ubicuidad y la diversidad delictiva, a partir de los registros de delitos ocurridos en el periodo 2015-2019. Los resultados muestran la existencia de patrones espaciales de diversidad y estabilidad de delitos en algunos distritos de la ciudad caracterizados por delitos altamente ubicuos que se traslapan entre sí, generando zonas con diversidad delictiva que permanecen estables en el tiempo. De esta manera, la inseguridad pública abarca todo el espacio urbano, como resultado de un entorno en el cual prevalecen altos niveles de impunidad y del efecto multiplicador del crimen organizado.

Internal forced displacement, a consequence of territorial control strategies by armed groups, has resulted in profound socioeconomic challenges for receiving areas. Approximately eight million people have been affected in Colombia, where internal conflict and criminal networks have prevailed for over five decades. This paper explores the relationship between internal forced migration and crime rates in Colombian municipalities from 2003 to 2016, focusing on spatial dynamics. The study utilizes a spatial panel model and considers five crime categories: homicides, kidnapping, personal injuries, automobile theft, and residential burglary. The results reveal significant associations between forced displacement and certain types of crime, highlighting the importance of spatial analysis in understanding the interaction between migration and crime. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and researchers, facilitating informed policy interventions and community initiatives to address the repercussions of internal migration on crime dynamics., Les déplacements forcés internes, conséquence des stratégies de contrôle territorial des groupes armés, ont entraîné de profonds défis socio-économiques pour les zones d'accueil. Environ huit millions de personnes ont été touchées en Colombie, où règnent des conflits internes et des réseaux criminels depuis plus de cinq décennies. Cet article explore la relation entre la migration forcée interne et les taux de criminalité dans les municipalités colombiennes de 2003 à 2016, en se concentrant sur la dynamique spatiale. L'étude utilise un modèle de panel spatial et considère cinq catégories de crimes : les homicides, les enlèvements, les blessures corporelles, le vol d'automobile et le cambriolage résidentiel. Les résultats révèlent des associations significatives entre les déplacements forcés et certains types de criminalité, soulignant l’importance de l’analyse spatiale pour comprendre l’interaction entre migration et criminalité. Les résultats offrent des informations précieuses aux décideurs politiques et aux chercheurs, facilitant des interventions politiques éclairées et des initiatives communautaires pour faire face aux répercussions de la migration interne sur la dynamique de la criminalité., El desplazamiento forzado interno, consecuencia de las estrategias de control territorial de los grupos armados, ha resultado en profundos desafíos socioeconómicos para las zonas receptoras. Aproximadamente ocho millones de personas se han visto afectadas en Colombia, donde el conflicto interno y las redes criminales han prevalecido durante más de cinco décadas. Este artículo explora la relación entre la migración interna forzada y las tasas de criminalidad en los municipios colombianos de 2003 a 2016, enfocándose en la dinámica espacial. El estudio utiliza un modelo de panel espacial y considera cinco categorías de delitos: homicidios, secuestros, lesiones personales, robo de automóviles y robo residencial. Los resultados revelan asociaciones significativas entre el desplazamiento forzado y ciertos tipos de delincuencia, destacando la importancia del análisis espacial para comprender la interacción entre migración y delincuencia. Los hallazgos ofrecen información valiosa para los formuladores de políticas y los investigadores, facilitando intervenciones políticas informadas e iniciativas comunitarias para abordar las repercusiones de la migración interna en la dinámica del crimen.

Criminal structures running international drug trafficking in the Western He-misphere are mischaracterized and misinterpreted by international anti-drug policies and strategies. Their characterization as cartels and the role they allegedly play in the international drug trafficking and value chain is based on misleading ideological premises disseminated by politicians, mass media and law enforcement agencies. Simultaneously, international anti-drug policies reward official law enforcement agencies with ongoing expansion of their powers and budgets to conduct extraterritorial interventions, increa-sing organized violence, corruption and trampling on fundamental rights and liberties. More fertile guidelines for international anti-drug policies in the future are discussed in the conclusions., As estruturas criminosas que controlam o tráfico internacional de drogas no hemisfério ocidental estão mal caracterizadas e interpretadas nas políticas e estratégias internacionais antidrogas. Sua caracterização como cartéis e o papel que supostamente desempenham no tráfico internacional de drogas e na cadeia de valor baseiam-se em pre-missas ideológicas enganosas difundidas por políticos, meios de comunicação e órgãos de controle penal. Ao mesmo tempo, as políticas internacionais antidrogas recompensam os órgãos oficiais de controle penal com a expansão contínua de seus poderes e orçamentos para realizar intervenções extraterritoriais, aumentando a violência organizada, a corrupção e a violação dos direitos e liberdades fundamentais. Nas conclusões, discutem-se diretrizes mais férteis para as políticas internacionais antidrogas no futuro., Las estructuras criminales que manejan el tráfico internacional de drogas en el hemisferio occidental están mal caracterizadas e interpretadas en las políticas y estrategias internacionales antidrogas. Su caracterización como cárteles y el papel que presuntamente desempeñan en el tráfico internacional de drogas y la cadena de valor se basa en premisas ideológicas engañosas difundidas por políticos, medios de comunicación y organismos de control penal. Al mismo tiempo, las políticas internacionales antidrogas recompensan a los organismos oficiales de control penal con la expansión continua de sus poderes y presupuestos para llevar a cabo intervenciones extraterritoriales, aumentando la violencia organizada, la corrupción y la infracción de los derechos y libertades fundamentales. En las conclusiones se discuten directrices más fértiles para las políticas internacionales antidrogas en el futuro.

Femicide is a serious crime based on gender inequalities rooted in society and that contribute to the perpetuation of violence against women. In Ecuador, as in other countries, power relations play a fundamental role in the context of femicide. The objective of this review is to analyze the conception of power relations in the crime of femicide in Ecuadorian legislation. The methodology used was qualitative in which a bibliographic review was made in the most relevant databases. According to the investigation, the high levels of femicide crimes in Ecuador have led several countries in the region to classify it within their legal bodies. This suggests that, although the criminalization of femicide has contributed to increasing social awareness about murders due to gender violence, there are still challenges regarding a clear classification within the norm, which allows the definition of the crime in terms of power relations, which should also be included within the articles in the COIP (Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code)., El femicidio es un delito grave basado en las desigualdades de género arraigadas en la sociedad y que contribuyen a la perpetuación de la violencia contra la mujer. En Ecuador, al igual que en otros países, las relaciones de poder desempeñan un papel fundamental en el contexto del femicidio. La presente revisión tiene como objetivo analizar la concepción de las relaciones de poder en el delito de femicidio en la legislación ecuatoriana. La metodología empleada fue de tipo cualitativa en la cual se hizo una revisión bibliográfica en las bases de datos de mayor relevancia. De acuerdo con la investigación, los altos niveles de crímenes de femicidio en Ecuador han hecho que varios países de la región lo hayan tipificado dentro de sus cuerpos legales. Esto sugiere que, aunque la criminalización del femicidio ha contribuido a aumentar la conciencia social sobre los asesinatos por violencia de género, aún existen desafíos referentes a una tipificación clara dentro de la norma, que permita la definición del delito en cuanto las relaciones de poder, lo cual, también deberían ser incluidas dentro del articulado en el COIP (Código Orgánico Integral Penal).

Research summary: In recent years, there has been a rise in so‐called “progressive prosecutors” focused on criminal justice reforms. Although there has been considerable debate about the relationship between progressive prosecution policies and crime rates, there has been surprisingly little empirical research on the topic. Building on the limited extant research, we examined whether the inauguration of progressive prosecutors in the nation's 100 most populous counties impacted crime rates during a 21‐year period (2000 to 2020). After developing an original database of progressive prosecutors in the 100 largest counties, we used heterogeneous difference‐in‐differences regressions to examine the influence of progressive prosecutors on crime rates. Results show that the inauguration of progressive prosecutors led to statistically higher index property (∼7%) and total crime rates (driven by rising property crimes), and these effects were strongest since 2013—a period with an increasing number of progressive prosecutors. However, violent crime rates generally were not higher after a progressive prosecutor assumed control. Policy implications: Despite concerns that the election of progressive prosecutors leads to “surging” levels of violence, these findings suggest that progressive‐oriented prosecutorial reforms led to relatively higher rates of property crime but had limited impact on rates of violent crime. In fact, in absolute terms, crime rates fell in jurisdictions with traditional and progressive prosecutors. Yet, relative property crime rates were greater after the inauguration of progressive prosecutors. Given that prior research shows progressive prosecutors reduce mass incarceration and racial inequalities, our findings indicate that higher property crime rates may be the price for these advancements.

This dissertation consists of three essays on human capital. In Chapter 1, I investigate the impact of collaborating with robots on human capital, focusing on professional baseball umpires who were provided with and then deprived of robot assistance. Umpires displayed enhanced accuracy with robot assistance, but experienced significant declines in performance once it was removed. I argue that these findings can extend beyond baseball, suggesting broader implications for occupations sharing similar skill sets. In Chapter 2, joint with Felipe Goncalves and Emily Weisburst, we investigate the effects of changes in workplace risk awareness on police behavior and public safety, focusing on incidents of police officer fatalities while on duty. Our findings reveal that following the death of a fellow officer, police officers reduce arrest activity for one to two months, indicating heightened fear. This reduction is most prominent for minor offenses and is more pronounced in smaller cities. Yet, we find no evidence of increased crime rates during this period, suggesting that reduction in arrests does not adversely impact public safety. In Chapter 3, joint with Anna Aizer, Shari Eli and Adriana Lleras-Muney, we utilize newly gathered data of 16,000 women who applied for Mothers' Pensions, America's first welfare program, to explore the impact of means-tested cash transfers on lifetime family dynamics and maternal welfare. In the short term, these transfers led to postponed marriage and reduced geographical mobility. However, in the long run, they had no discernible effect on remarriage probability, spouse quality, fertility, or maternal well-being, as measured by longevity and family income in 1940. With the absence of significant negative behavioral outcomes, we suggest that the benefits of such transfers may outweigh the costs, particularly if they yield even modest positive impacts on children.

Research finds that immigration and crime are not related across neighbourhoods, contrary to social disorganization theory and consistent with the immigration revitalization thesis. This research, however, is largely silent as to any possible nonlinear effects. Yet social theory offers sound reasons for why the immigration–crime association may be nonlinear; explanations, including immigrant/ethnic enclave theory and immigrant victimization theory, underscore potential concentration effects—albeit in different ways. Using a novel dataset with information on crime in over 15,000 neighbourhoods across a diverse range of US cities, we examine whether or not the immigration–crime association is nonlinear. We find that for both violent and property crime, a nonlinear relationship best captures the relationship. In additional analyses, we determine the theoretical perspective with which the findings are most consistent.

There is a vast literature evaluating the empirical association between stay-at-home policies and crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these academic efforts have primarily focused on the effects within specific cities or regions rather than adopting a cross-national comparative approach. Moreover, this body of literature not only generally lacks causal estimates but also has overlooked possible heterogeneities across different levels of stringency in mobility restrictions. This paper exploits the spatial and temporal variation of government responses to the pandemic in 45 cities across five continents to identify the causal impact of strict lockdown policies on the number of offenses reported to local police. We find that cities that implemented strict lockdowns experienced larger declines in some crime types (robbery, burglary, vehicle theft) but not others (assault, theft, homicide). This decline in crime rates attributed to more stringent policy responses represents only a small proportion of the effects documented in the literature.

This document was created pursuant to § 63M-7-405(4). The Master Offense List has been updated and will be presented to the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee on May 17, 2023. It is intended to contain all offenses in existence in the Utah State Code and each offense’s associated penalty. It is a reference guide for ease of use and greater transparency to assist in legislative, policy, and guideline discussions. The Master Offense List is not a substitute for reference to the Utah State Code. It does not constitute legal advice and is not legally binding. It does not create any right or expectation on behalf of an offender.

Many theorists have expounded on what serial killing says about the social in any given context and the ways in which serial killing and media are entangled, in particular, Mark Seltzer, Jon Stratton and Elliot Leyton. However, in this article, we ask, how is serial killer mythology developing in relation to participatory culture typical of our current digital environment? In scaffolding discourse analysis with theories from various literature, such as Judith Fathalla and Mark Deuze, what we find is that people’s lives as lived in media open up radically new spaces through which media publics consume, cultivate and perform knowledge about serial killers, enabling them to exercise a reconfigured sense of control over the ‘story’ of the serial killer as a myth and as a deviant Other that embodies an encounter with the uncanny.

Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) has become a global crime in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are difficulties in identifying and investigating perpetrators as they have continued to use technology to enable them to abuse and exploit children, while avoiding detection. This research aims to conceptualize criminal liability for online sexual exploitation of children after the enactment of Law No. 12/2022 on sexual violence. This research method uses an empirical approach, which involves collecting data through observation, interviews, and case studies to identify legal rules, legal principles, and their application in actual cases. Data was collected from various sources including legal documents; police reports; and interviews with legal experts and law enforcers involved in handling OSEC cases. The results of the research indicated that some small-scale cases of sexual exploitation have been found in the Philippines and Thailand, such as sexual grooming, dissemination of child pornographic content, and solicitations by sexting (sending indecent images). In the Philippines, the Thomson Reuters Foundation found cases of live streaming of child sexual abuse. This research is expected to contribute to the development of more comprehensive and effective legal policies in handling online sexual exploitation of children, and increasing the awareness and competence of law enforcement in identifying, investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of OSEC.

The study examines the representation of the drug scourge in the South African press with a focus on selected newspapers, namely the Daily Sun, The Sowetan, and The Citizen publications. The objectives of the study were to interrogate the editorial role of the selected newspapers in reporting illicit drug consumption, determine the framing of news reports on the coverage of illicit drugs, and analyse challenges that impede journalists’ editorial role in presenting news reports on the consumption of illicit drugs. In addition, the study purposed to recommend an editorial tool kit to benefit a dissuasive campaign against the rampant consumption of illicit drugs in South Africa. It draws from the framing and accumulation theoretical propositions to underpin the study, and this is complemented by a detailed literature review on the press’ representation of (illicit) drugs and drug abuse. The study employed the qualitative research approach and a descriptive design where data were collected through qualitative content analysis and a piloted in-depth interview method. Qualitative content analysis was used to determine news frames in the news reports about drug abuse whereas thematic analysis was applicable in determining the editorial role and challenges that impede journalistic practice in reporting the drugs scourge. The study noted that, a majority of the frames and editorial approaches to the coverage of the drug scourge were largely not beneficial to an effective anti-illicit drug campaign in South Africa. Instead, coverage of the selected newspapers yielded peripheral angles with emphasis on crime and violence; race-oriented, gendered, and class infused frames. This was further compounded by the press’ focalisation on the scare-alarmist frame; foreignerscapegoating; perpetrating the helpless frame; blame frame, and inept interventionist frames which lacked the capacity to generate a nuanced focalisation to stir the discourse on the drug scourge. In the end, the stud

Sexual harassment and other forms of transit crime are everyday occurrences for women and girls around the world. The absence of safety hampers the ability of numerous women to engage freely in school, employment, and public activities without being alert. This research explores women's safety experiences, particularly focusing on young women in diverse rural and urban environments. We utilized chi-square analysis and regression models to analyze data obtained from a survey distributed to railway passengers in 2022 across neighboring municipalities in southern central Sweden. Findings show that being young makes women more likely to be victimized. Although rural women feel safer than their urban counterparts, they are more often willing to take precautionary measures before taking a trip (e.g., more often traveling with someone in the evening or avoiding certain stations). These findings call for gender-age-sensitive mobility policies, taking into account the intersectionality of transit safety, and reflecting women's and girls' safety needs in particular rural contexts.

There is a vast literature evaluating the empirical association between stay-at-home policies and crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these academic efforts have primarily focused on the effects within specific cities or regions rather than adopting a cross-national comparative approach. Moreover, this body of literature not only generally lacks causal estimates but also has overlooked possible heterogeneities across different levels of stringency in mobility restrictions. This paper exploits the spatial and temporal variation of government responses to the pandemic in 45 cities across five continents to identify the causal impact of strict lockdown policies on the number of offenses reported to local police. We find that cities that implemented strict lockdowns experienced larger declines in some crime types (robbery, burglary, vehicle theft) but not others (assault, theft, homicide). This decline in crime rates attributed to more stringent policy responses represents only a small proportion of the effects documented in the literature.

This study adds to knowledge on place-based fear of crime. First, by proposing a method to coordinate and code unsafe locations from an open-ended question in a random sample survey among residents of Uppsala, Sweden. The method is performed through an automated script in R with manual work steps. Second, by identifying types of functional locations, e.g. traffic centres, city parks, green spaces etc., reported by residents as unsafe. Third, by examining whether these unsafe locations spatially cluster. Fourth, by examining whether unsafe locations or clusters of unsafe locations also tend to overlap with hotspots of crime. Fifth, by examining to what extent living conditions are related to the occurrence of unsafe locations and their potential spatial clustering., Forskningen är genomförd med stöd av Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap (2021-11168) samt Länsförsäkringars forskningsfond (2022/01/003), Otrygghetens geografi - Var och när är vi egentligen otrygga och hur kan otryggheten förklaras?

Individuals with disabilities constitute a vulnerable heterogeneous group of travellers in public transport. The present study aims to investigate victimisation and perceived safety patterns among train travellers with disabilities (asthma/allergy, motion sickness, depression/anxiety, and reduced mobility). Exploratory data analysis and logistic regression were used to analyse the data coming from a sample of railway travellers across 28 municipalities in Sweden (N = 3374). Individuals with disabilities are more likely to be victimised in transit than those with no disability and declared feeling more unsafe than the rest of the travellers, especially if they had been previously victimised. Like other passengers, individuals with disabilities complain about aggressive panhandling, sexual harassment, the presence of intoxicated people, and a lack of staff. Including disability groups and their special needs in planning is essential to make public transportation safer and more inclusive., QC 20240624

There is a vast literature evaluating the empirical association between stay-at-home policies and crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these academic efforts have primarily focused on the effects within specific cities or regions rather than adopting a cross-national comparative approach. Moreover, this body of literature not only generally lacks causal estimates but also has overlooked possible heterogeneities across different levels of stringency in mobility restrictions. This paper exploits the spatial and temporal variation of government responses to the pandemic in 45 cities across five continents to identify the causal impact of strict lockdown policies on the number of offenses reported to local police. We find that cities that implemented strict lockdowns experienced larger declines in some crime types (robbery, burglary, vehicle theft) but not others (assault, theft, homicide). This decline in crime rates attributed to more stringent policy responses represents only a small proportion of the effects documented in the literature.

This study adds to knowledge on place-based fear of crime. First, by proposing a method to coordinate and code unsafe locations from an open-ended question in a random sample survey among residents of Uppsala, Sweden. The method is performed through an automated script in R with manual work steps. Second, by identifying types of functional locations, e.g. traffic centres, city parks, green spaces etc., reported by residents as unsafe. Third, by examining whether these unsafe locations spatially cluster. Fourth, by examining whether unsafe locations or clusters of unsafe locations also tend to overlap with hotspots of crime. Fifth, by examining to what extent living conditions are related to the occurrence of unsafe locations and their potential spatial clustering., Forskningen är genomförd med stöd av Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap (2021-11168) samt Länsförsäkringars forskningsfond (2022/01/003), Otrygghetens geografi - Var och när är vi egentligen otrygga och hur kan otryggheten förklaras?

Drug abuse is a social problem, and a large percentage of the Correctional Service's clients have a drug addiction. There is a connection between drug addiction and crime since many drug users commit crimes to support their addiction. Furthermore there is a high societal stigmatization of people with drug addiction. This study examines how organizations work with relapse prevention linked to drug abuse and the actors experiences and views on problems related to drug addiction. The aim is to investigate which elements in the treatment process can be developed and which elements are essential for relapse prevention. It also aims to examine the connection between crime, stigmatization, and drug abuse. The study uses a qualitative approach by conducting twelve semi-structured interviews with actors from different organizations working with relapse prevention. The results of the study show that an extended collaboration and communication between actors is an important part of the treatment process. Moreover it also highlights the importance of using different treatments since many drug users need combined treatments to meet the user's individual needs. Another finding is that treatment of addiction can reduce crime, but one aspect that can make it difficult to reach out to drug users is the stigma in society that creates guilt and shame. The finding suggests increased resources is necessary to improve the collaboration between organizations that work with relapse prevention for drug users., Narkotikamissbruk är ett socialt problem och en stor andel av Kriminalvårdens klienter har ett narkotikamissbruk. Det finns ett samband mellan narkotikamissbruk och brott eftersom många missbrukare begår brott för att försörja sitt missbruk. Det finns en hög stigmatisering i samhället för individer med ett narkotikamissbruk. Denna studie undersöker hur organisationer arbetar med återfallsprevention mot narkotikamissbruk och aktörernas erfarenheter och syn på problemet kopplat till narkotikamissbruk. Studien ämnar att undersöka vilka element i behandlingsprocessen som kan utvecklas och vilka som är viktiga för återfallsprevention. Den ämnar även att undersöka kopplingen mellan kriminalitet, stigmatisering och narkotikamissbruk. Studien använder sig av en kvalitativ ansats genom att genomföra tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer med aktörer från olika organisationer som arbetar med återfallsprevention. Resultatet i studien indikerar att det behövs en utökad samverkan och kommunikation mellan aktörer under behandlingsprocessen. Studien lyfter även fram vikten av olika insatser eftersom många med ett narkotikamissbruk behöver kombinerade insatser utifrån individens behov. Resultatet visar att behandling av narkotikamissbruk kan minska brottslighet, men att stigmatiseringen i samhället kan göra det svårt att nå ut till narkotikamissbrukare eftersom stigmatiseringen skapar skuld och skam. I studien framgår det att fler resurser behöver tillsättas för att tillgodose brukarnas behov, men även för att förbättra samverkan mellan aktörer.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka socionomers yrkeserfarenheter med ungdomar som begår brott och vilka faktorer de uppfattar kan påverka ungdomarna till att begå brott. Studien har även som syfte att undersöka hur socionomerna arbetar med dessa ungdomar och hur samarbetet med andra aktörer ser ut. För att besvara detta har kvalitativ metod använts och fyra socionomer varav tre fältassistenter och en socialsekreterare har intervjuats. Teorierna som använts till denna studie var teorier om sociala band, systemteori, liberala förklaringar, och konsumtionssamhället. I resultatet av studien framkom teman om social miljö och skola, utanförskap och statusjakt, sociala medier och musik och hemförhållanden som faktorer som socionomerna uppfattade som riskfaktorer för att ungdomar begår brott. Teman som uppkom om socionomernas arbete med detta var socionomernas arbete med ungdomarna och samarbetet med andra aktörer, och samarbete och stöd till föräldrar. Det framkom vidare av resultatet att det ibland finns svårigheter i arbetet och att barnets bästa inte alltid kom i första hand, samt att samarbetet med andra aktörer ibland inte fungerade som tänkt., The purpose of this study was to examine social workers' professional experiences with young people who commit crimes and what factors they perceive can influence the young people to commit crimes. The study also aims to investigate how the social workers work with these young people and what the collaboration with other actors looks like. To answer this, a qualitative method has been used and four social workers, three of whom are field assistants and one social secretary, have been interviewed. The theories used for this study were theories of social ties, systems theory, liberal explanations and the consumer society. The results of the study revealed themes of social environment and school, exclusion and status hunting, social media and music, and home conditions as factors that the social workers perceived as risk factors for young people committing crimes. The themes that arose about the social workers' work in this area were the social workers' work with young people and cooperation with other actors, and cooperation and support for parents. It also emerged from the results that there are sometimes difficulties in the work and that the best interests of the child did not always come first, and that the collaboration with other actors sometimes did not work as intended.

Denna uppsats utgår från svenska förhållanden och utforskar och tolkar frivårdsinspektörersprofessionella erfarenheter om varför kriminella beteenden bland män uppstår. Genom attintegrera perspektiv från både praktiker och forskare ges en rik förståelse för de utmaningar ochmöjligheter som samhället står inför när det gäller att främja social inkludering. Studien lyfterfram olika områden som kan vara problematiska för individen och som i olika grad påverkar enhållbar samhällsutveckling. Det handlar om klass- och social tillhörighet, tillgång till eller bristpå socialt kapital, kritiska tidpunkter under en individs uppväxt, skolans och mansrollenspåverkan, stigmatisering och psykisk ohälsa. När det gäller slutsatser utifrån studiens resultat,kan det konstateras att resultatet som grundar sig på frivårdsinspektörernas tolkningar, till stordel överensstämmer med de teoretiska aspekter och tidigare forskning som i övrigt tagits upp istudien. Resultatet pekar på att många av klienterna men inte alla, har erfarenheter under sinbarndom och uppväxt, som i olika grad har motiverat till livsval som mynnat ut i kriminalitet., This essay is based on Swedish conditions and explores and interprets, inspectors' professionalexperiences, why criminal behaviors occur among men. By integrating perspectives from bothpractitioners and researchers, a rich understanding of the challenges and opportunities thatsociety faces in promoting social inclusion is provided. The study highlights different areasthat can be problematic for the individual and that to varying degrees affect sustainable socialdevelopment. It is about class and social belonging, access to or lack of social capital, criticaltimes during an individual's upbringing, the impact of school and the male role, stigma andmental illness. Regarding conclusions based on the results of the study, it can be stated that theresults, which are based on the probation inspectors' interpretations, largely correspond to thetheoretical aspects and previous research that has been discussed in the study. The resultsindicate that many of the clients, but not all, have experiences during their childhood andupbringing, which to varying degrees have motivated life choices that have resulted in crime.