Paths beyonds gang life: An ethnographic study of young gang defectors disengagement from criminal groups in Sweden

Gang crime and gang based gun violence pose a significant challenge in Sweden.

Every year, several hundred gang defectors in Sweden seek assistance from society to leave a criminal group and many are under 30-years old.

Some gang defectors face immediate threats due to their pivotal roles in gang networks and have to undergo police-assisted relocation for safety, residing in protected environments with altered identities.Many suffer from fear and have traumatic experiences as victims or offenders of violence.

As part of the exit process, they embark on a journey to undergo an individual transformation from a life of gang crime to societal integration.

There is a knowledge gap regarding the subjective experiences of young individuals who have defected from gangs during and after the exit process in Sweden. How do young individuals involved in criminal networks experience the exit process? What kinds of struggles do they face?

The aim of this project is to gather ethnographic data and conduct interviews with young gang defectors to examine experiences of leaving a gang and the struggles they face in the process of gang exits.

The study draws on interdisciplinary research perspectives, integrating social anthropology, criminology, and sociology to study gang desistance through various lenses.

The research contributes to enhancing our understanding of the multifaceted nature of gang exits in Sweden, which can also be useful for policy and intervention strategies.