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P049. From gangsters to innocents – The construction of offenders and victims of gun violence in the Swedish daily press
Thu, September 4, 6:45 to 8:00pm, Other Venues, Poster VenueAbstract
In recent years gun violence has received increased public attention in Sweden. Gunshots or so-called “shootings” have had a major impact on the news coverage. One of the most discussed issues during the political debates before the last election to the Swedish Parliament was “gang criminality”. This issue is said to be related to shootings and lethal gun violence. Since the mid 2000’s, lethal gun violence as a method of violence has increased in Sweden. During the 2010’s, the general trend is that the lethal gun violence has increased. There has been a structural change in the lethal violence, where shootings in so-called criminal milieus have increased. Previous research in the Swedish context, has focused on the prevalence of firearm use and firearm-related injuries and deaths. However, there is a lack of research on how gun violence has been constructed as a social problem by focusing on the image of offenders and victims.
The mass media is an arena in which different social problems can receive attention, but also for discursive formations. The aim is to analyse how gun violence has been constructed as a social problem in the editorials of the largest Swedish newspapers (Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter, Expressen and Svenska Dagbladet) during the periods of 2013 – 2018, 2019 – 2021 and 2022 – 2024 by applying Loseke’s theory of social problems as claims making activity together with an intersectional perspective.
The findings suggest that the offenders and victims of gun violence have changed over time. During the first period (2013 – 2018), both offenders and victims are constructed as individuals associated with so-called gang criminality. In the second period (2019 – 2021) the offenders are “gang criminals” but the victims are constructed as “innocents”. In the last period (2022 – 2024), the offenders – who are constructed as minors – and the victims are “innocents”.