The first accurate observations of street gangs in Finland were made by the police in 2021. Currently, the Police of Finland have identified 350 individuals who are involved in street gangs with 150 individuals having a central role in the gangs. The emergence of street gangs has led to intensified debate in relation to the issue. Discussion and debate have also emerged within the realm of politics, as violence by street gangs has been considered to be a threat to public safety. The aim of this study was to explore how the issue of street gangs is discussed in the debate by the Parliament of Finland. The material is from the years 2021 – 2023 and consists of written questions and oral questions by politicians, as well as an interpellation. The material from the Parliament was analyzed using thematic analysis to be able to identify central themes in the debate. The key findings are that the politicians in Finland acknowledge that the issue has escalated, and action must be taken to prevent further escalation. Causes of the problem as well as possible measures for the purpose of prevention are also discussed. Comprehensive welfare is considered to be the cornerstone of criminal policy in Finland, as it is expected to result in decreasing crime rates. Results of this study, however, indicate that the debate around street gangs in Finland is to some extent led by ideological perceptions. Polarization of the perception of "us" and "them" seems to be particularly prominent within parliamentary debate concerning street gangs in Finland.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mau-68404 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Finér, Jenni |
| Publisher | Malmö universitet, Institutionen för kriminologi (KR) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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