This thesis delves into the complex dynamics of female involvement in criminal gang environments. These females can be divided into two groups: insiders, who are introduced to the environment through close acquaintances, and outsiders, who do not have close relationships within the environment. Through qualitative interviews with key informants from Danish law enforcement and municipalities, this thesis addresses the females’ motivation to engage with gang members as well as the potential consequences of these relationships. This thesis also examines the challenges field professionals face when engaging with these females, as well as which preventive initiatives could be implemented in Western Copenhagen. The findings from this thesis revealed that females are motivated to engage in relationships with criminals due to various factors, encompassing the desire for status, protection, and financial or material gain. A potential consequence of these relationships is the risk of becoming a victim of either psychological, physical, or sexual abuse. Conversely, another potential consequence of such relationships is the pressure or temptation to participate in crime, thereby becoming an offender themselves. In certain cases, there will thus be a victim-offender overlap.There is a notable lack of attention towards females involved in gang environments in the preventive work in Western Copenhagen. Additionally, there is currently no unified approach when working with these females. As a result, professionals encounter various challenges when working with females involved with gang members. It is thus important to increase awareness about this issue and implement early preventive strategies tailored to females in Western Copenhagen. Finally, this thesis finds that when field professionals engage with these females, it is crucial to maintain a holistic approach, considering the diverse motivations and consequences the females encounter.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pressing global issue that endangers women worldwide. Societal reactions to this type of violence are deciding factors for victims’ mental health and help-seeking behaviour.Previous research has shown that victim-blaming attitudes in IPV remain prevalent, especially among men and individuals with sexist beliefs. Considering the recent rise in popularity of online content supporting traditional gender roles and sexism among young people, it begs the question of whether such content influences victim-blaming, and if content supporting contrasting ideas has the opposite effect. Using an online questionnaire containing a hypothetical scenario on IPV, this vignette study analysed how agreement with sexist online content and feminist online content influence both victim-blaming and perpetrator responsibility attitudes among a predominantly young sample (N=210).Results indicate that agreement with sexist online content is associated with an increase in victim-blaming and a decrease in perpetrator responsibility attribution, however, these effects lose their statistical significance when variables measuring general sexist attitudes are included in the regression. Agreement with feminist online content is also associated with a statistically significant increase of perpetrator responsibility attribution and a decrease in victim-blaming, although statistical strength and significance are once again lost when general sexist attitudes are accounted for. These results suggest that general sexist attitudes, specifically hostile sexist attitudes, have a stronger influence on victim-blaming and perpetrator responsibility attribution compared to agreement with sexist and feminist online content, potentially due to a mediating or moderating effect of the latter.Future research should analyse the causal relationship between sexist attitudes and exposure to various types of online content as well as study how different constellations of IPV might be influenced by the consumption of sexist or feminist online content.

The aim of this bachelor thesis was to examine how the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet represented the leading characters in the reporting about the murder of Yara Alnajjar. The questions examined were: How is Yara, the perpetrators and the municipality of Karlskrona represented in Aftonbladet? How is the relationship between the leading characters of the texts constructed? And what is the relationship between the characters and the audience?  To approach this we made a discourse analysis of ten texts from Aftonbladet, all related to the tragic series of events that costed Yara Alnajjar her life.  The result showed that Yara Alnajjar was represented as a classic victim-hero who’s only job was to be small, innocent, defenseless and to gather sympathy from the audience. And even though she had a different cultural background she became a part of “us”. The female perpetrator was, in contrast to the victim, represented as a mad non-woman. Discredited through her odd behaviour which contained both evil and sad moments. Next to her was the male perpetrator who, despite also being sentenced for the murder, gathered sympathy from the audience. As well as being represented as someone in the deep regret and sadness. The municipality of Karlskrona in return was both given blame for their non-actions and forgiven despite it, since Aftonbladet considered them to have tried to help.  We discovered that the media constructions in Aftonbladet were embedded with roles, archetypes and myths. It also showed that not everyone would fit into their roles so easily.

The concept of organ transplantation is not a new concept in South Africa and many organ transplants are performed annually. However, the problem that arises is that there is currently a shortage of donor organs suitable for transplant and this leads to the demand for organs exceeding the supply thereof. This in itself opens the door for unethical and criminal ways of obtaining organs. One of the ways in which these organs are obtained is child trafficking for the sole purpose of removal of organs. Although there are several reasons why children are abducted and used in child trafficking practices, the removal of their organs is discussed as the main reason in this study. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United National Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000) (hereinafter the Protocol), which South Africa signed and ratified, is the international instrument which places an obligation on South Africa to address the issue relating to human trafficking by implementing legislation. Until recently there had been no legislation specifically regulating human trafficking. Through the years, several bills for implementation in the national legislative framework were proposed to parliment. In 2013, the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act was incorporated into national legislation to address South Africa's international and regional obligations. In this study, the international, regional and national framework concerning trafficking is outlined and discussed as well as the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act to determine to what extent they do provide protection to victims of human trafficking. / LLM (Comparative Child Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The concept of organ transplantation is not a new concept in South Africa and many organ transplants are performed annually. However, the problem that arises is that there is currently a shortage of donor organs suitable for transplant and this leads to the demand for organs exceeding the supply thereof. This in itself opens the door for unethical and criminal ways of obtaining organs. One of the ways in which these organs are obtained is child trafficking for the sole purpose of removal of organs. Although there are several reasons why children are abducted and used in child trafficking practices, the removal of their organs is discussed as the main reason in this study. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United National Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000) (hereinafter the Protocol), which South Africa signed and ratified, is the international instrument which places an obligation on South Africa to address the issue relating to human trafficking by implementing legislation. Until recently there had been no legislation specifically regulating human trafficking. Through the years, several bills for implementation in the national legislative framework were proposed to parliment. In 2013, the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act was incorporated into national legislation to address South Africa's international and regional obligations. In this study, the international, regional and national framework concerning trafficking is outlined and discussed as well as the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act to determine to what extent they do provide protection to victims of human trafficking. / LLM (Comparative Child Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie proefskrif is 'n poging om vanuit 'n Penologiese perspektief 'n teoreties-prinsipiele uiteensetting te gee betreffende restitusie aan die slagoffer van misdaad. Die doel van hierdie studie was om deur navorsing tot insig en kennis te kom betref f ende die vraagstuk rondom slagof fervergoeding en meer spesifiek restitusie as slagoffervergoeding. Die proef skrif behels 'n beskrywing van slagoffervergoeding vanaf die vroegste tye wat as die historiese ontwikkeling van slagoffervergoeding gesien kan word tot en met die tydsvlak waarin die strafreg horn nou bevind. Restitusiestelsels van Brittanje, die Verenigde State van Amerika en vyf Europese lande is bespreek. Die Republiek van Suid Afrika beskik nie oor 'n kompensasie of restitusiestelsel om slagoffers te vergoed nie en daarom is slegs die status wat die slagof fer in die strafproses beklee, bespreek. Gedurende die bestudering van die onderskeie lande se restitusiestelsels kon selfs binne die Europese Unie, geen eenstemmige beleid gevind word ten opsigte van die omvang van restitusie aan die misdaadslagoffer nie. In al die lande wat bestudeer is was die doelstellings waarom restitusie ingestel is egter die.slfde naamlik dat die tradisionele strafmetodes waaronder gevangenisstraf en ondertoesigstelling gefaal het in hul pogings om die slagoffer van misdaad te akkommodeer. Navorser het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gesien teen die swak posisie wat die slagoffer van misdaad in Suid-Afrika beklee, die instelling van 'n restitusiestelsel 'n dringende noodsaaklikheid geword het. Die stelsel moet funksioneer vanuit die ondertoesigstellingsdepartement met as ondertoesigstellingsbeamptes as inyorderaars van restitusie wat ook as bemiddelaars kan optree. Aanbevelings is ook gedoen vir die implimentering van 'n sentrale slagoffervergoedingsfonds. / This desertion is an attempt to present, from a Penological perspective, a theoretical fundamental exposition regarding restitution to the victim of crime. The purpose of this study was to, through research, gain insight and knowledge with regard to the question of victim compensation and more specific restitution as victim compensation. The dissertation comprises a description of victim compensation from the earliest of times, which can be seen as the historical development of victim compensation, until the time period that criminal law finds itself in today. Restitution systems of Britain, the United States of America and five European countries are discussed. The Republic of South Africa does not possess a Compensation or restitution system to compensate victims and therefore only the status of the victim in the criminal process is discussed. During the study of different countries's restitution systems there could, not even in the European Union, agreement be found with regard to the extent of restitution to the victim of crime. In all of the countries studied, the purposes why restitution were emplaced were the same, namely that the traditional punishment process, where under imprisonment and under supervision, failed in their attempts to accommodate the victim of crime. Research came to the conclusion that, taken against the bad position that the victim of crime in South Africa holds, the emplacement of a restitution system have become a necessity. The system should function from the under supervisory department with the supervisory officials as collectors of restitution and which could also act as mediators. Recommendations are done for the implementation of a central victim compensation fund.· / Sociology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Penologie)

The aim of this study was to examine the problems behind disclosure and why children do or do not tell about the sexual abuse. The empirical base of this thesis was six autobiographies. Aspects of guilt and shame in relation to the disclosure process were the main topics in this study. Also, the difficulties with disclosure as well as the surrounding conditions that facilitate the disclosure are mentioned. The following difficulties were found: guilt/shame, denial of the sexual abuse, fear for the disclosure’s consequences, the lack of support from family and surroundings, distorted reality perception/the normalization process of violence, the power imbalance between perpetrator and victim. Regarding conditions that facilitate the victims’ disclosure, the following aspects were found: internal factors, surrounding conditions and evidence of the sexual abuse. In addition, these theories were applied: the affect theory and the normalization process of violence.

State compensation is considered a complementary tool for victims of crimes’ access to restorative justice. Particular benefits with state compensation for trafficked persons is the non-involvement of the offender, which by the nature of the crime usually implies a major obstacle for their access to financial compensation. The access to compensation for cross border victims - which includes victims of trafficking - and the importance of enforcing victims of crimes’ right to justice and equality before the law, has undergone a major actualization in step with the free movement - which led to an increased mobility across EU-borders. The correlation between equality before the law -as an expression for cross border victims’ access to state compensation regardless of citizenship- and the prevailing increasement of freedom of movement in the EU will among others be analyzed down Dworkin’s perception on equality and freedom as reciprocal musts. The right to compensation for victims of trafficking is established in binding EU-acts and therefore requires compliance, particularly since Directive 2004/80/EG - which enforces cross border victims’ right to compensation - was adopted. Due to the lack of contrasting research in the area of victims’ access to state compensation in the EU-member states five different countries is hereby being analyzed, intending to compare national policies on compensation and their compliance with Directive 2004/80/EG. The member states in focus are Spain, Greece, Portugal, Malta and Italy. My conclusion asserts that the member states do comply with the EU-obligations on compensation but the protection of trafficked persons’ right - and access to- state compensation is notwithstanding beneath contempt and requires urgent progress.

Throughout history, sex and sexuality has been a subject for many debates. It has been regulated through both authorities and social norms. Female sexuality has been seen both as a symbol for motherhood and as a sin. Women have also been judged both for their virginity and their lack of it. This matter appears regularly in the media, whereas women still are objectified and judged for how they choose to exert their sexuality. Therefor, we have chosen to study how this appears in teenage movies in modern times, through a case study of the movies Easy A, Juno and The first time. We want to examine which kind of messages that are transmitted to youths about women and their sexuality. We have used the variables informal sexual education, slut shaming, victim blaming, the madonna/whore complex and objectification. Our results shows that women’s sexuality still is criticized and regulated by society and its values.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.