Abstract The aim of this essay is to understand the view of man as a creature in the Norse culture by studying rituals and ritual actions in conjunction with homicide. The material on which the study is based is called the Icelandic sagas, which are important source of information to the Norse culture. To achieve the purpose, I used a qualitative content analysis and qualitative narrative analysis along with ritual theories based on Roy A Rappaport among others. The questions are for instance: - What ritual actions occur in connection with the homicide, according to the Icelandic sagas? - What are the differences in how individuals are treated in passages where the ritual actions in relation to homicide and homicide cases investigated and why? The results show four different types of ritual acts in relation to homicide. These are rites of passage, seid, gifts and ritual acts related to the use of blood. That there existed differences between individuals in the saga litterature can be seen in the size of the tombs and the punishments awarded to various people portrayed in the textual material. The reasons for these differences were for instance, dependent upon the reputation and position which the slain individual received in the hierarchy of society, how many kinsmen the central actors had around them, and finally the honor code expressed in the saga litterature. The study shows that homicide could be both a give and take away status, which directly affected the honor of people within honor and shame system and in relation to their social relationships in the Norse society.

The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the development of violent crime in the geographical area belonging to the district courts of Mellersta- and Västra Värends, as well as Växjö Magistrate´s Court, during the period 1960—1970. The questions addressed include: What was the demographic distribution among crime victims and perpetrators in terms of gender, age, possible alcohol influence during the crime, and the relationships between the victim and the perpetrator? To what extent were young people perpetrators? How have the number of judgements changed over time? How can crime history be utilized in high school education? The prime material used consists of judgements from court records, and the theoretical frameworks include social vulnerability, peer influence and socialization, among others. The method employed is primarily quantitative, with the results presented in tabular form. The study confirms previous research on violent crimes, revealing that the majority of those convicted or victimized by violence during the period were men. However, one woman faced charges of rape but was ultimately convicted for assault, a charge outside the scope of sexual offences. The highest average age (31,8 years), including both men and women was found in Växjö Magistrate´s Court and stood out in the study. Concerning youth offenders, the study revealed that in Västra Värends district court, the majority (36,6 %) were in the 15—20 age group. Alcohol emerged as a recurring factor in the study. Of the total cases in Mellersta Värends district court, 65,6 % were influenced by alcohol at the time of the defense. In conclusion, the study confirms that socialization, peer influence and alcohol played significant roles in shaping the characteristics of violent crimes during this period.

<p>Forskning har visat att förekomst av riskfaktorer för brottsrecidiv skiljer sig mellan vålds- och sexualbrottslingar. Ytterligare forskning behövs dock om skillnader mellan mer specifika brottskategorier. Syftet var att undersöka skillnader mellan män dömda för mord (n=363), dråp (n=110), rån (n=238), sexualbrott mot vuxen (n=71) respektive sexualbrott mot barn (n=57) avseende ålder, psykopatiprofil enligt PCL-R samt riskkaraktäristika bedömt med HCR-20. Resultatet visade att personer dömda för sexualbrott mot barn hade lägre förekomst av historiska riskfaktorer, lägre grad av psykopati, samt var äldre än övriga grupper. Gruppen dömda för dråp hade en lägre grad av psykopatisk personlighet (faktor 1) än de andra våldsbrottsgrupperna, mord och rån, medan de hade den antisociala livsstilen typisk för psykopater (faktor 2). Det omvända gällde för gruppen sexualbrott mot vuxen. Grupperna rån och mord liknade varandra på flertalet variabler, dock var personer dömda för rån yngre än samtliga grupper. Resultaten har betydelse för utformande av åtgärder avsedda att minska recidivrisken.</p>

Forskning har visat att förekomst av riskfaktorer för brottsrecidiv skiljer sig mellan vålds- och sexualbrottslingar. Ytterligare forskning behövs dock om skillnader mellan mer specifika brottskategorier. Syftet var att undersöka skillnader mellan män dömda för mord (n=363), dråp (n=110), rån (n=238), sexualbrott mot vuxen (n=71) respektive sexualbrott mot barn (n=57) avseende ålder, psykopatiprofil enligt PCL-R samt riskkaraktäristika bedömt med HCR-20. Resultatet visade att personer dömda för sexualbrott mot barn hade lägre förekomst av historiska riskfaktorer, lägre grad av psykopati, samt var äldre än övriga grupper. Gruppen dömda för dråp hade en lägre grad av psykopatisk personlighet (faktor 1) än de andra våldsbrottsgrupperna, mord och rån, medan de hade den antisociala livsstilen typisk för psykopater (faktor 2). Det omvända gällde för gruppen sexualbrott mot vuxen. Grupperna rån och mord liknade varandra på flertalet variabler, dock var personer dömda för rån yngre än samtliga grupper. Resultaten har betydelse för utformande av åtgärder avsedda att minska recidivrisken.

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