"Tycker du som jag". En rättssociologisk studie om hur socialsekreterare tolkar unga lagöverträdares särskilda vårdbehov

Sammanfattning: During 2007, a legal reform in Sweden took place, this change led to complications in interpreting the needs of individuals and the application of the laws by the governing social authorities. The aim of the thesis is to explore the underlying norms that influence social workers interpretation of young offenders needs, aged 15 to 17 years, and if the interpretations are consistent. The aim was achieved by comparing 30 criminal court records, different variables was discovered that seems to influence the judgments made by social workers. A survey containing vignettes was carried out amongst welfare agencies to investigate their understanding and interpretation of young offenders care needs. The methodology also includes the theoretical consideration of professional norms, street level bureaucracy and the non and dys functions of the laws involved in sentencing within the juvenile justice system. The results showed that those who uphold social welfare at street level experience a contradiction between the demands of the laws that govern the juvenile justice system and how they interpret care needs of an individual. The handbook the social workers use in their decision-making process produces professional norms that help reduce the complexity of their professional role. The juveniles need of care weigh heavier than the legal principles of proportionality and predictability therefore the interpretations of the laws are not consistent which can affect the principle of legal security. The results relates back to the aim of the thesis.