Who is to blame for juvenile delinquency?
(2025) CCRM20 20251Sociology
- Abstract
- With growing concern over organised crime in Sweden, increased attention has been directed towards children's involvement in escalating violence. Children are portrayed both as victims of coercion and as voluntary participants, reflecting a dual approach in governmental policy. This study investigates how the issue of children's involvement in criminal activities is problematised in three selected Swedish Government Official Reports (SOU), using Bacchi’s analytical framework “What is the problem represented to be?”. The results reveal conflicting constructions of children as both vulnerable individuals in need of protection and as accountable individuals subject to adult-like penal interventions. Children are increasingly constructed as... (More)
- With growing concern over organised crime in Sweden, increased attention has been directed towards children's involvement in escalating violence. Children are portrayed both as victims of coercion and as voluntary participants, reflecting a dual approach in governmental policy. This study investigates how the issue of children's involvement in criminal activities is problematised in three selected Swedish Government Official Reports (SOU), using Bacchi’s analytical framework “What is the problem represented to be?”. The results reveal conflicting constructions of children as both vulnerable individuals in need of protection and as accountable individuals subject to adult-like penal interventions. Children are increasingly constructed as risks to society rather than individuals in need of support, which justifies earlier interventions, expanded surveillance, and punitive measures, blurring the line between care and control. In conclusion, the analysed SOUs reflect a broader shift in criminal policy, where the growing emphasis on societal protection redefines the child’s position. The focus moves from a welfare-oriented perspective to a culture of control, in which vulnerability is overshadowed by individual responsibility and children’s own perspectives risk being overlooked. This may result in one-dimensional interventions that fail to address the complex realities of their lives, reinforcing adult control rather than promoting genuine support. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- In recent years, Sweden has seen a troubling rise in organised crime, and what has caught the attention of policymakers, and the public alike is the increasing involvement of children and young people in violent crimes and networks. This trend raises complex and uncomfortable questions: Are these children exploited victims or are they conscious actors making deliberate choices? And how should society, and especially the government, respond? This study explores how the Swedish government has framed and responded to this issue in three major public investigations, known as Swedish Government Official Reports (SOU). Using the method called “What is the problem represented to be?” developed by political theorist Carol Bacchi, the study digs... (More)
- In recent years, Sweden has seen a troubling rise in organised crime, and what has caught the attention of policymakers, and the public alike is the increasing involvement of children and young people in violent crimes and networks. This trend raises complex and uncomfortable questions: Are these children exploited victims or are they conscious actors making deliberate choices? And how should society, and especially the government, respond? This study explores how the Swedish government has framed and responded to this issue in three major public investigations, known as Swedish Government Official Reports (SOU). Using the method called “What is the problem represented to be?” developed by political theorist Carol Bacchi, the study digs into the language and assumptions behind policy proposals. By analysing these documents through a critical discourse lens, the research uncovers how children involved in crime are represented and why those representations matter.
The findings show a tension in how children are portrayed. From one perspective, they are seen as vulnerable, easily manipulated by older criminals, and in need of protection and support. Then again, they are increasingly viewed as responsible for their actions, capable of making criminal choices, and thus subject to punishment. This dual image has serious implications for how laws and interventions are designed. While the protection of minors remains a stated goal, the overall direction of Swedish criminal policy is shifting. There is growing emphasis on tougher measures, lowering the age of criminal responsibility, increasing police
powers, and introducing more surveillance. These changes suggest a move toward what scholars describe as a “Culture of Control,” where fear of the “other”, (in this case the young and often marginalised) offender, drives more punitive policies. In conclusion, the study highlights a broader trend in modern criminal justice policy: a turn away from social support and rehabilitation, and towards repression and control. This shift risks overlooking the root causes of youth crime, such as poverty, social exclusion, and lack of support, while potentially criminalising children who are themselves victims of a larger system. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9205578
- author
- Shehata, Selma LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- CCRM20 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- legal age of criminal responsibility, crime control, juvenile justice, penal exceptionalism, punitive measures, crime prevention, Swedish Government Official Report.
- language
- English
- id
- 9205578
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-25 21:53:55
- date last changed
- 2025-06-25 21:53:55
@misc{9205578, abstract = {{With growing concern over organised crime in Sweden, increased attention has been directed towards children's involvement in escalating violence. Children are portrayed both as victims of coercion and as voluntary participants, reflecting a dual approach in governmental policy. This study investigates how the issue of children's involvement in criminal activities is problematised in three selected Swedish Government Official Reports (SOU), using Bacchi’s analytical framework “What is the problem represented to be?”. The results reveal conflicting constructions of children as both vulnerable individuals in need of protection and as accountable individuals subject to adult-like penal interventions. Children are increasingly constructed as risks to society rather than individuals in need of support, which justifies earlier interventions, expanded surveillance, and punitive measures, blurring the line between care and control. In conclusion, the analysed SOUs reflect a broader shift in criminal policy, where the growing emphasis on societal protection redefines the child’s position. The focus moves from a welfare-oriented perspective to a culture of control, in which vulnerability is overshadowed by individual responsibility and children’s own perspectives risk being overlooked. This may result in one-dimensional interventions that fail to address the complex realities of their lives, reinforcing adult control rather than promoting genuine support.}}, author = {{Shehata, Selma}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{Who is to blame for juvenile delinquency?}}, year = {{2025}}, }