The present study tested the prediction that male offenders are judged more harsly than female offenders for involving in a violent crime. Three-hundred and fifty-four adult students (163 men, 190 women, 1 unspecified gender) evaluated a hypothetical crimescenario describing a violent conflict between two parties, as part of a 2 (Informants Gender: Male/Female) x 3 (Offender Gender Triad: Male/Female/Neutral) x 3 (Victim Gender Triad: Male/Female/Neutral) between-subjects design. In situations involving male offenders, compared to female offenders, the informants judged the male offenders more harshly which exposed a double standard, as we expected. Informants also believed that it was more likely that a male offender was a recidivist..

The purpose of this study is that through a discourse theoretical perspective, analyze young girls 'statements about living with self-injuring by sexual behavior. The aim is to locate the discourses that surround them, visualize how discursive constructions affect these young girls' identity as victims and/or actors in relation to self-injury, the sexual violence and in meetings with the professionals within the health authorities. In addition discourse theory as an analyze method, the authors also use Nils Christie's (2001) theory of the ideal victim and Ingrid Landers (2003) theoretical perspectives on normative femininity. The authors of the study show a diversity of discourses that surround the young girls. All discourses contain normative actor- and victim?s positions that young girls constantly are obliged to relate to, which partially conflict with social constructions of the idea of victim and femininity.

Syftet med uppsatsen är att göra en kritisk diskursanalys av begreppet brottsoffer i internationella, nationella och vetenskapliga dokument. Utgångspunkten i analysen är Norman Faircloughs tredimensionella modell. Analysen leder till en redovisning av brottsofferdiskursen och dess konsekvenser för samhället. De huvudsakliga slutsatserna är att brottsofferdiskursen är en del av en större diskursordning och underordnas en diskurs i vardera typen av text, internationell, nationell och vetenskaplig typ av text. Synen på brottsoffer och brottsofferdiskursen är avgörande för hur brottsoffer bemöts och vilket stöd de får.

The purpose of this thesis was to determine the tv-show Efterlyst?s (Wanted)effects on viewers when it comes to how crime, criminals and victims are portrayed in the show. In order to achieve the purpose of our the study, both  quantitative and  qualitative approaches were used We compared the image Efterlyst gives of crime, criminals and victims to statistical information from The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention and The Central Bureau of Statistiscs. By using focus-groups we also studied how Efterlyst portrays, in the season of 2009, and how it may have affected its viewers. Our conclusion was that there are important differences between how Efterlyst portrays crime and the image of crime the statistics gives.

The aim of this Master thesis was to examine news journalism covering expressions of mourning related to violent or unexpected deaths. What rituals for mourning are brought out in media and do media present guidance to how mourners should behave? The questions examined were: What characterised news events that leaded to texts on expressions of mourning? How was grief framed? Which narrative patterns were there in the texts? How was the deceased represented? How were the mourners represented? 165 texts, from Swedish daily newspapers, covering 93 different news events were analysed. The methods were mainly discourse analysis with focus on identities and relations, but also semiotic analysis with focus on staging and symbols and narrative analysis with focus on patterns for storytelling. The result showed that a news story about ordinary people expressing their feelings of grief has elements of melodrama. The news story is based on the myth of the victim, and formed as a typical story where equilibrium is disturbed when the inconceivable happens and the mourners can by their actions restore equilibrium.

The purpose of this study is to explore how different discourses about risk linked to HIV prevention is likely to affect the decisions on the distribution of state funding for preventive activities aimed at 'men who have sex with men' (MSM). This by making qualitative interviews with principals that have an impact on this decision. Using a discourse analytic approach, based on both theoretical and methodological foundations, I investigate the discursive constructions of risk of HIV linked to certain groups and behaviors. MSM is found in the material placed into two different formations of groups, on one hand by the behavior on the other hand on the basis of identity. The identity position is organized discursively from a ?victim? position while MSM provides an "operator" position.

This qualitative study aimed to examine which discourses can be found within the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (BUP) and women?s shelters against domestic violence, concerning children that have experienced violence within the family, from two perspectives: the child?s need of father and of protection from violence. The study also aimed to examine which discourses can be found within the organisations concerning children?s well-being, how they define their mission concerning domestic violence and how this can affect the practical work with children that have experienced violence and their parents. The questions that the study aimed to answer were which discourses can be distinguished within BUP and the women?s shelters against domestic violence and how they can affect the different agencies? view of the child?s need and well-being.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the Swedish municipal welfare system, in their capacity as discourse makers, construct Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in the relationships of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people. A discourse analysis of their official plans of action regarding IPV and the information directed towards their citizens through their webpages showed that the discourse surrounding IPV revealed a gender dichotomy, where the victim was mainly constructed as being female and the perpetrator as male. As a consequence of this, gay and bisexual men were rendered invisible from the discourse surrounding victims of IPV, although they could be included in the construction of perpetrators of it. Lesbian and bisexual women were often included in the understanding of victims of IPV, but in the discourse surrounding perpetrators of it they were made invisible. The discourse about IPV also excluded the experiences and vulnerability of people who identify as being transgendered.

Gang crime has increased significantly in Sweden over the past decade, deadly shootings are becoming more common. This led to the year 2022 being established as the deadliest year in Swedish crime statistics since the police began compiling national statistics on shootings. Gang crime is, therefore, a highly relevant topic in the Swedish mass media. Besides the mass media, the phenomenon is also of interest to politicians and the general public. Because of the escalation of violence in Sweden, daily reports discuss the measures that should be implemented to combat gang crime.

Our purpose has been to review and analyse the representation of rape, as well as discussions concerning rehabilitation, present in texts targeted at professionals and/or female victims of rape. We wish to investigate whether female victims of rape themselves are given the opportunity of individual positioning with regard to the crimes they have been exposed to. We consider it to be of relevance that female victims of rape themselves are given the opportunity to act, react and feel individually in the context in which they find themselves, without judgement or certain expectations on how to act being dealt to them from their surroundings. Our research questions have been as follows; what views of the phenomenon that is rape are presented in the texts? Do the texts apply any specific theoretical analysis aimed at the possible explanations of the phenomenon that is rape? In what ways do the texts present the significance of rape for the female rape victim? How are the victims feelings of disgrace, guilt and disgust with regard to rape explained, are these reactions linked to the understanding of female sexuality? How are methods of the rehabilitation of female rape victims presented in the texts? Do the texts render possible any other/varying subject positions as a female rape victim? To answer these research questions we have applied a critical discourse analysis on our selection of texts and thereafter made a connection to relevant theory.

In some criminal cases, the only existing evidence is the verbal statement of a witness or the plaintiff. The typical example is an alleged rape where victim and perpetrator have had some kind of relation, and their records of the incident differ. In these cases, the assessment of the value of the evidence drawn from the plaintiff's story is of crucial importance. On the one hand, a false positive judgment means that a person is wrongly convicted, on the other hand, a failure to correctly identify a truthful claim of rape means that a victim of a severe crime is left without judicial remedy. That the prosecutor must prove that the crime is committed by the defendant without reasonable doubt, means that there is much more chance of a failure to convict guilty felons, than of the opposite.In the essay, the rules of criminal procedure directed at the evaluation of the verbal statement are identified and critically evaluated from the perspective of how they may or may not facilitate the judgment of a verbal statement presented before the court, either in person, or through other media such as video.

?During the past few years cooperation between the EU member states has expanded considerably in areas such as justice and homeland affairs. International cooperation in criminal justice has become more important as borders between EU countries has been lifted and because of this, various criminal groups have also had more opportunities to commit crimes cross borders. The Italian mafia groups in particularly have been operating in almost every country in Europe and have exploited the possibilities offered by the EU. The increase of organized crime in Europe has created a demand for EU to step up their actions against the organized crime.The purpose of this essay is to investigate exactly how the significant EU is has been in battling organized crime in Italy.

AbstractThe ideas of adulthood, adolescence and childhood in Swedish law have a tendency to not be expressed or discussed. This thesis has focused on the preparatory work of the sexual offence-law to see whether it defines adulthood. This has been achieved by analyzing the documents related to this preparatory work. The thesis focused on two central questions: 1) Was the idea of adulthood an integral part of the discussions in the preparatory work 2) If so, then how was it defined and are there any contradictions in the definition. In addition, this work also evaluated the impact of this law and investigated whether the absolute protection intended by the government and the committee of sexual crime seek actually exists.The study shows that the concept of adulthood was not defined specifically in the preparatory work.

The aim of this paper is to examine how the Swedish implementation of the new trafficking laws may differ from the original intention from the UN and EU and if they are substandard due to poorly conducted law implementation. Or if it might be a victim of political symbolism, to win support and votes for the politicians in power from the people, a ?hollow showpiece? only meant to be shown off. Trafficking is a relatively new phenomena and problem to be researched and discussed. This paper investigates the impact of the Palermo protocols international definition of the problem, the convention against organized crime presented by the European Union on the Swedish legal system and its action plan. A qualitative text analysis focusing on the discourse of the intentions behind the internationally presented legal documents and compared against the carrying out of said national objectives.

Despite the fact that society is investing substantial resources in individuals not to relapse into crime, then relapse is still a large percentage of new crimes. Crime is something that all societies are dealing with and at all social levels. By punishing individuals they are excluded from the society. This serves as a form of social control. It has been shown that there is no solution to the problem.