Research project Social services as an arena for crime prevention - prerequisites, working methods and outcomes

The research program “Social services as an arena for crime prevention - prerequisites, working methods and outcomes” is funded by FORTE. The overall objective of the research is to adopt a comprehensive approach to the crime-preventive responsibilities of the social services to address issues of youth offending. This includes everything from general activities aimed at all children (part 1) to targeted or indicated interventions (part 2) and support following placements in out-of-home care (part 3).

A point of departure for the research is the increased pressure on social services to work crime-preventively with young offenders as a consequence of the recent rise in shootings. During the research period, several new laws will be implemented that further emphasize the social services' crime prevention efforts. The ambition is also to consider the current complexity characterizing these issues. The political and public attention in this area is massive. At the same time, school and residential segregation have increased the differences in young people's living conditions, complicating the social services' opportunities for crime prevention. Researchers in criminology and social work, including several members of the research group for this program, have repeatedly criticized the repressive and punitive tone that currently characterizes the criminal policy debate. The research group advocates preventive measures supported by research as an alternative to repressive measures, but for such actions to be possible, opportunities must be made visible, and methods and outcomes studied.
To address the overarching question of how the social services function as an arena for crime prevention, a wide range of specific research questions will be explored. This will be done through an interdisciplinary approach incorporating both quantitative and qualitative research methods. For instance, professionals´ and young recipients´ experiences of interventions will be studied using interviews, focus groups and observations, while the relationship between different types of measures and outcomes, such as criminality and school performance, will be quantitatively studied using social care files and register data.