Paths beyond gang life: An ethnographic study of young gang defectors disengagement from criminal groups in Sweden

• In Event: Crime prevention, reoffending and organized crime

Abstract

Over the last couple of years, Sweden has seen a worrying rise in gang-related gun violence, along with an increasing number of young people being recruited into criminal groups. At the same time, Swedish authorities have reported a growing number of young individuals voluntarily seeking help and support from exit programs to leave these criminal groups. This paper is based on ongoing ethnographic research in Sweden, including interviews with young gang defectors. The presentation will focus on some of the preliminary findings from data collection and will explore the challenges, barriers, and opportunities that young people encounter in the process of leaving a criminal group. The paper highlights structural challenges, such as the relocation of gang defectors to new cities, new security concerns related to social media, and a lack of employment opportunities. It also explores individual challenges that gang defectors face in the exit process, including social stigma, social exclusion, and the absence of alternative opportunities. Overall, this paper seeks to better understand what factors that may facilitate the successful reintegration of young gang defectors into society.

Author

• Anna Hedlund, University of Gothenburg