<p>The aim of the study is to investigate attitudes about rapists and to determine whether it is felt that they need treatment, imprisonment or a combination of the two. The study examines differences in attitudes between two different educational groups. The first group of students is comprised of those studying on programs that lead to careers working with people, whilst the other contains students who will work in business administration. The investigation also includes views on which punishment alternative the informants believed to be the most appropriate. The same differences are also investigated between gender and age. The study also examines whether there are any differences in attitudes if you or someone you know has been abused. Each educational group was comprised of 165 students to whom a questionnaire was given. The results showed differences related to education, gender and age. The majority of all the students (80%) thought that a combination of treatment and imprisonment was the most appropriate for rapists. There was however, a difference in attitudes between the two student groups; the group studying business administration was more positive towards prison and chemical castration. There were also differences between men and women. The women wanted a longer prison sentence than the men did. The age groups differed in the way that the younger group were more positive to prison alone. Finally, the results of the study revealed that differences did not depend on whether the informant or somebody they know had been the victim of abuse.</p>

The aim of the study is to investigate attitudes about rapists and to determine whether it is felt that they need treatment, imprisonment or a combination of the two. The study examines differences in attitudes between two different educational groups. The first group of students is comprised of those studying on programs that lead to careers working with people, whilst the other contains students who will work in business administration. The investigation also includes views on which punishment alternative the informants believed to be the most appropriate. The same differences are also investigated between gender and age. The study also examines whether there are any differences in attitudes if you or someone you know has been abused. Each educational group was comprised of 165 students to whom a questionnaire was given. The results showed differences related to education, gender and age. The majority of all the students (80%) thought that a combination of treatment and imprisonment was the most appropriate for rapists. There was however, a difference in attitudes between the two student groups; the group studying business administration was more positive towards prison and chemical castration. There were also differences between men and women. The women wanted a longer prison sentence than the men did. The age groups differed in the way that the younger group were more positive to prison alone. Finally, the results of the study revealed that differences did not depend on whether the informant or somebody they know had been the victim of abuse.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka yrkesverksammas upplevelser i handläggningen av unga lagöverträdare beroende på kön. Vi har valt att göra en kvalitativ intervjustudie för att få våra frågor besvarade. Detta genom att genomföra sex semistrukturerade intervjuer, två socialsekreterare, två poliser och två åklagare. Vår studie fokuserar på det problem som uppstår i samhället när individer inte blir behandlade lika inför lagen. Detta problem kan uppstå i kontakten med de yrkesverksamma som har till uppgift att samarbeta kring handläggningen av unga lagöverträdare. Den forskning som vi har tagit del av visar på att kvinnor och män behandlas olika i kontakt med rättsssamhället och att samhällets normer ser olika ut kring män och kvinnor som begår brott. Detta trots att svensk lag föreskriver att alla ska behandlas lika. De yrkesverksamma representerar de myndigheter som i sitt arbete med unga lagöverträde samarbetar enligt direktiv från regeringen. Sammanfattningsvis kan vi se att våra informanter inte gör någon skillnad i handläggnningen utifrån kön, men att de alla kan se att vissa könsskillnader görs inom den egna eller andra myndigheter. Det samarbete som är initierat mellan våra informanters myndigheter ses som positivt och ett steg i rätt riktning mot en bättre handläggnning av ärenden gällande unga lagöverträdare. De intervjuade kan se en viss förändring över tid vad gäller vilken typ av brott som begås av unga tjejer samt en viss ökning av grövre brott som begå av unga tjejer. Våra informanter uppvisar ett starkt engagemang för de ungdomar de möter. Detta anser vi är en avgörande faktor till att de i sin yrkesutövning inte gör skillnad på ungdomar utifrån kön utan behandlar alla lika.