Repressivitetens retorik : En kritisk analys av det diskursiva sambandet mellan straffrättsliga motiv och svenska brottstrender (2018-2026)

Sammanfattning

This study analyzes the government's criminal justice motives regarding direct and indirect violence and how they relate to crime trends in Sweden. A qualitative analysis of bills is contrasted with quantitative reporting statistics from Brottsförebyggande rådet. The material is divided into four themes: intimate partner violence and honor-related crime, sexual offenses, young offenders, and criminal networks. The results demonstrate that the motives presented by the government are expressive and control-oriented: social protection through incapacitation, reflecting the seriousness of the crime, and sending deterrent signals. Short-term increases in crime are framed as acute states of crisis, whereas a 50-year perspective instead reveals fluctuations on a historically high plateau, creating a discursive gap between political rhetoric and statistics. Instead, expanded legislation, an increased propensity to report crime, and the pandemic are discussed as potential explanations for the rising curves. No empirical correlation between political motives and reported crime reduction could be established.