Vägen till kriminalitet : En kvalitativ studie om barns potentiella risk- och skyddsfaktorer för att utveckla ett kriminellt beteende

Sammanfattning: Crime and deadly violence have increased in Sweden in recent years. Victims and perpetrators have become younger and research shows that the majority of crimes committed in society today are committed by young men (Estrada, 2022). Why some people choose a criminal lifestyle of violence and crime is a question many often ask. The purpose of the study was therefore to investigate which factors protect and which factors increase the risk of criminal behavior in a child. I chose to do a theoretical thematic literature study of two books in order to investigate which risk and protective factors I could find that influence a person to become criminal or not criminal. The study was based on previous research of risk and protective factors and two selected books which are Nicola Lunabba's autobiography Will you be sad if I die? (2022) and Gangster life: crimes, the gang and life on the street (2021) written by Jacob Härnqvist. The research results of the study showed that there are several risk factors for a child to develop criminal behavior and examples of these are growing up with a weak economy, abuse,violence, lack of love and support and difficulties in controlling their aggression. The result also showed the importance of protective factors and that these in turn can be feelings of support and love, good relationships, routines and interests and future plans. The study also showed how deviant behavior in a child at an early age often has an increased risk of continuing into adulthood, which means that one should work preventively against crime in the child's early age. At the same time, the study showed that the reason why a child develops criminal behavior is complicated and is caused by a variety of factors that interact at the child's different levels. It is therefore not possible to give a concrete answer as to why a child develops criminal behaviour, but is instead based on the child's environment, characteristics and risk and protective factors.