Gängens barnsoldater: Framställningar av barn i kriminella nätverk : En tematisk analys av journalistiska texter i svenska dags- och kvällstidningar

Sammanfattning

The aim of the study was to examine how children in relation to criminal networks are portrayed in Swedish journalistic texts, as well as what societal meanings are attributed to these portrayals. Previous research has largely focused on youth in crime or on the causes of criminality, but there is limited knowledge about how children specifically are portrayed in news media and how these portrayals contribute to broader societal understandings. A qualitative text analysis was conducted, in which twelve journalistic texts from Swedish daily and evening newspapers were selected through purposive sampling. The material was coded and thematised through thematic analysis and was thereafter interpreted primarily with support from Howard S. Becker’s labeling theory, with Stanley Cohen’s theory of moral panic as a complement. The results showed that children are portrayed through several parallel interpretive frames, where they are emphasized both as vulnerable and exploitable, with an emphasis on mental ill-health, social vulnerability, and a need for belonging, and as active and dangerous offenders, where responsibility and involvement in serious crime are highlighted. These portrayals often occur simultaneously and create a complex image. This duality aligns with the empirical picture shown in previous research on children in crime. In contrast to previous research, which often uses the broader category of “youth”, this study provides a specific analysis of how younger children are portrayed in Swedish journalistic texts. Furthermore, the analysis showed that the portrayals are linked to different societal meanings, where children in criminal networks appear both as a social problem related to deficiencies in protection and support, and as a threat to the social order. This contributes to measures such as increased control and repressive interventions appearing as legitimate, while the need for preventive and supportive measures is simultaneously emphasised.