Ethnicity and Violent Crime: The Ethnic Structure of Networks of Youth Suspected of Violent Offences in Stockholm

• NCJ Number: 204443
• Journal: Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: 2003 Pages: 143-161
• Author(s): Tove Pettersson
• Date Published: 2003
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Sweden

Annotation

This study used network analysis to study patterns of co-offending among youths suspected of violent offenses in Stockholm, Sweden.

Abstract

The study focused on the ethnic character of relationships among persons suspected of cooperating in the commission of violent offenses. The research was occasioned by Swedish media stories that have described frequent violent conflicts between Swedish youths and immigrant youths, with ethnicity being an issue in these conflicts. The study obtained data on violent offenses reported to the police in the Stockholm police district during 1995. Researchers excluded all cases that did not involve a suspect 20 years old or under. Case selection also required that suspects be linked to co-offenders and to the victims (complainants). In assessing the ethnicity of suspects and victims, persons born in Sweden, both of whose parents were also born in Sweden, were deemed ethnic Swedes. All other suspects were included in groups with non-Swedish ethnicities. There were 1,260 incidents that met selection criteria. These cases involved 1,253 known offenders, 1,487 co-offender interactions, 87 networks, 652 offenders suspected of offending alone, 514 suspected of joint offending, and 87 offenders suspected of both joint and solo offending. The study found that violent offenses committed by juveniles in Stockholm involved ethnically heterogeneous suspects and victims. Still, there was a tendency for marginalized and segregated immigrant ethnic juveniles to commit violent crimes together. The findings suggest that currently youth violence in Stockholm involves youth from a variety of ethnic backgrounds; however, there are indications that ethnic segregation may increase the level of violent crimes by groups of these segregated juveniles. In falsely reporting that juvenile violent crime in Stockholm is frequently ethnically based, the Swedish media does a disservice to the public by perhaps fueling such a trend. 4 tables and 37 references