Ett svårnavigerat uppdrag - En kvalitativ studie om tjänstemäns upplevelser i arbetet med ungdomsbrottslighet

Sammanfattning

The aim of this study was to examine how professionals within social work reasoned about the current public debate, which increasingly focused on criminal justice measures to address youth crime. The study specifically explored how these professionals navigates the recurring dichotomy between care and control in their encounters with children who are at risk or convicted of criminal offences, and how such reasoning shaped their professional practice and identity. To explore these questions, a qualitative research design was employed using semi-structured interviews with six social work professionals from different regions in Sweden. The material was analysed through thematic analysis, drawing on Lipsky's theory of street-level bureaucracy, Abbott's concept of professional jurisdiction, and Brante's perspective on professions. The results demonstrated that social work related to youth crime was multifaceted and complex, and therefore could not be reduced to the simplified, punitive perspective that often dominates the public debate. The professionals emphasised the importance of viewing “the whole child” in order to capture the broader problem context, in which psychosocial well-being played a crucial role. The study showed that professionals navigated tensions between care, control and collaboration, highlighting the importance of autonomy and relation work in addressing youth crime. It provided insight into how social workers balanced societal expectations with the realities of supporting children at risk or involved in crime.