20 research outputs found
Allmänhetens syn på våldsbejakande extremism: En balans mellan sociala, ekonomiska och polisiära åtgärder
AbstractThe so-called Swedish model of trust is characterised by strong public support for the idea of an individual-based and extensive welfare state, well-developed state individualism, high levels of social trust, widespread appreciation of the judiciary, openness, tolerance, and a free and independent press. Today, Swedish society faces several challenges. Will the Swedish model of trust be eroded or is it relatively resilient to stress?
A Novus survey from 2019 found that a total of 74 percent of the Swedish population were very or quite worried about Islamic extremism, 66 percent very or quite worried about right-wing extremism and 46 percent very or quite worried about left-wing extremism. Other surveys show that the public is also concerned about the deterioration of the welfare state, social gaps, the increased number of refugees to Sweden and xenophobia. Moreover, the Novus survey shows that 65 percent believe that violence-promoting extremism will increase in Sweden in the coming ten-year period. 22 percent indicate that they have become suspicious of people they have encountered in everyday situations and 15 percent have avoided large crowds, e.g. shopping malls, pedestrian areas and subways.
When asked which measures are good for increasing security in society, common answers were to reduce social exclusion, increase camera surveillance in public places and provide more information on democratic principles and values. These answers indicate that Swedish public opinion has a relatively balanced view of public measures against violent extremism, which is consistent withthe Swedish model of trust. In general, the public does not propose the implementation of overly excessive measures against violent extremism. However, given continued public concern over the development of violent extremism, the long term stability of the Swedish model of trust remains in question
Improper influence against prosecutors and judges in Finland and Sweden: Findings from two national surveys 2008
The web survey was carried out in 2008, targeting all prosecutors and judges in office in Finland and Sweden. The forms of improper influence addressed in the questionnaire were harassment, threats, violence, vandalism and corruption. The reference period applied was the preceding 18 months. The survey was carried out simultaneously in Finland and in Sweden using an identical questionnaire.
Judges and prosecutors have experience of all of the listed forms of improper influences. However, the dominant forms of influence are harassment and threats.
Victimisation occurred primarily at the workplace, and only rarely in the leisure time of the respondents.
Most of the perpetrators were individuals who were not connected with criminal organisations. This is the case in particular when the victim was a judge. Occasionally, however, organised crime representatives were also observed to be involved. This was true for prosecutors in particular.
Swedish prosecutors were harassed and threatened by organised crime representatives significantly more often than Finnish prosecutors.
It was unusual that family members of the civil servants concerned were victimised, but also some such instances were reported, some of them quite serious. Again, such incidents were more likely in Sweden than in Finland.
According to the respondents, the employer organisations of the respondents had not done very much to prevent such incidents or to protect their employees from improper influences. The respondents were also of the opinion that much more should be done about the problem.
The respondents had many suggestions for improvements, some of them quite sophisticated. These included, inter alia, ideas concerning the way their work was organised, the protection of personal data, access control, and the physical design of the offices and courtrooms. Overall, the responses demonstrate that the persons involved should be consulted carefully when planning and implementing new measures to prevent improper influences and to minimize their impact
Organiserad brottslighet i Norden
Organised crime in the Nordic context could best be characterized by two
extremes. On one hand, there are the ad hoc-groups that form to carry out
criminal enterprises such as smuggling operations. These ad hoc-groups
are flexible and collaborators can come and go depending on the projects.
The ad hoc-groups are quite discrete and profit is their primary goal. On
the other hand, there are the brotherhoods of visible and often provocative
gangs. Identity and brotherhood are often more important for these
outlaw bikers, street gangs and similar gangs than the criminal enterprise
itself. The ad hoc-groups are more common and thus more central to the
criminal markets than the brotherhoods, even though the latter get a lot
of media and political attention because of their characteristics. The nature
of Nordic organised crime grows out of broader societal traits. The
level of corruption is low, and people trust the political assemblies, the
authorities and the judicial system as a whole. Longstanding democratic
traditions, also on the local level, and relative economic equality help to
explain why organised crime is not a threat even if there are problems
Organized crime the Nordic way
Organized crime in the Nordic countries shares some common traits and usually takes the form of small and flexible networks. There are very few, if any, Mafia-like groups. The level of corruption of officials is low and the level of violence between groups is, with some exceptions, quite low. Organized crime reflects the societies, the economy, and the historic and cultural background of the Nordic countries. Organized crime can not be said to be strongly integrated in the central trade and industry. Criminal networks are not a new feature. There have been well-established groups of smugglers and illegal makers of alcohol since the early twentieth century. Organized crime as a topic, problem, and social phenomenon was not focused on before the early 1990s
Organisert kriminalitet: en kunnskapsstatus
Much of our knowledge about organized crime is based on data from
official sources. The police, courts and public officials are central contributors
of information used in the media discourse and in research on
organized crime. We raise the questions of what consequences this has
and how we as researchers can deal with the fact that our data come from
these sources
Ekonomisk och organiserad brottslighet - ett kriminalpolitiskt drama i sju akter
See abstract in article