This study aims to identify risk factors among young boys that might lead to criminal behavior and actions. The study is based on four books, written by former criminals, a lawyer that has been working with the cold shooting cases in Sweden and two reporters from the exposed areas. By reading the books we could identify similar risk factors among the participants in the books that have got their story told. Since social worker's job is to help prevent criminal behavior among youth and young children by identifying the risk factors, we thought that this study could be helpful. The books produce important knowledge from reality. The study is divided into seven different themes in which risk factors can be found. Those are risk factors related to firearm-related violence, risk factors within the individuals, the families, school, socioeconomic status, substance use and social capital. First the study presents previous scientific studies, in the same seven themes, and then they are put together with the new findings from the books. From this study we can also find that the risk factors are influenced by each other, and that individuals are more likely to have several risk factors if they already have one. Depending on how the individuals identify and manage the risk factors, it is different how much they are affected by it. A risk factor that one individual has, does not have to be a risk factor for another individual. Due to this, social workers have to pay attention to every individual youth and consider their situation regarding risk factors for criminal behavior.