Sabbatical Fellow, SCAS;
Associate Professor in Social Anthropology and Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, University of Gothenburg

ABSTRACT:
Over the last decade, organised crime, gang-related gun violence and the use of explosives have become major social concerns in Sweden. Every year, several hundred individuals seek assistance from the police or gang exit programs to leave criminal networks. Some of these individuals face immediate threats due to their previous roles and positions in criminal networks and must undergo police-assisted relocation for safety and live with protected identities. Many of these individuals are young, they suffer from fear and anxieties and have experiences of violence as victims and/or perpetrators. As part of the exit process, they are expected to undergo an individual transformation, moving away from a life of gang-related crime to become “peaceful” and “law abiding” citizens. Given that the relocation of former gang members to new locations is a relatively new phenomenon in Sweden, we know little about the experiences of young individuals who leave criminal networks and the challenges they face during this process. How do individuals who have been involved in serious violence in Sweden experience the process of disengaging from criminal networks? What kinds of aspirations, expectations and challenges do these young men encounter during the exit process? In this presentation, I will share preliminary findings from an ongoing project on gang desistance and relocation in Sweden.