Research project In recent years, girls and young women involved in criminal gangs have received increasing attention in Swedish media and political debate. However, within Swedish research, girls’ and young women’s involvement in criminal gangs remains largely overlooked, despite the growing focus on violence and crime more generally. The purpose of this project is therefore to contribute to a greater understanding of girls and young women who have experiences of criminal gangs.
The project is theoretically grounded in narrative research and focuses on the girls’ and young women’s own life histories, while also drawing on the professional experiences of practitioners who encounter and work with this group. The aim of the project is to generate knowledge that can contribute to improving support for these girls and young women and, in doing so, help address challenges within the welfare system.
The purpose of this project is to contribute to a deeper understanding of girls’ and young women’s lives and involvement in criminal gangs. The primary focus is on how the girls and young women describe their pathways into gang involvement, their experiences within the gang, and, where applicable, their pathways out of gang involvement. The research questions also address the girls’ and young women’s experiences of victimization, participation, and use of violence, as well as whether factors such as gender, class, ethnicity, and age are assigned significance in the narratives.
The project is theoretically grounded in narrative research and consists of two sub-studies. The first sub-study examines the experiences of girls and young women (aged 15–29) involved in criminal gangs through an analysis of their life histories. The second sub-study shifts the focus toward professionals’ narratives and their experiences of encountering and working with this group.
As there is currently a lack of research in this area within a Swedish context, the project aims to contribute knowledge to both the academic field and practical social and preventive work. This is achieved both by studying an area that has primarily focused on boys and young men, and by examining a group that has only recently gained attention in Sweden.
