Increased gun violence in Sweden: A study of gun violence trends since the mid2000s

• In Event: Weapons and gun violence

Abstract

Sweden has received international attention for increasing levels of gun violence the last decade. Still, there are few studies examining how this trend has developed over time. This study looks into gun violence trends in the criminal milieu since the mid-2000s, analysing how the criminal milieu has changed and what role these changes may have played in gun violence trends. The study draws on a variety of sources, including registers, focus groups with police employees, interviews with individuals with experience of the criminal milieu, and decrypted chats among criminals. The results show that the criminal milieu that use gun violence has changed from being largely dominated by hierarchically organised groups that had clear, established guidelines on the use of firearms to a fragmented criminal milieu where decisions to use gun violence are dispersed and can be used for seemingly minor conflicts. The dynamics of gun violence has changed from being characterised by isolated events, to increasingly being linked to prolonged conflicts. Also, the number of individuals involved in a shooting has increased over time and the individuals have become gradually younger. Overall, the study shows the importance of understanding the criminal milieu as dynamic and changing, which means that the analysis of and measures against criminal networks and organized crime continuously need to be reassessed and revised.

Authors

• Henrik Angerbrandt, Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention

• Mariana Dufort, Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention

• Victor Dudas, Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention