KOMMUNALA FRITIDSGÅRDAR, EN PLATS DÄR KRIMINALITET KAN MOTVERKAS? - En kvalitativ studie med fokus på personalens syn på sitt arbete

Abstract

Aims and objectives: Previous research shows that recreation centers have a greater proportion of visitors with social problems than other recreation activities. The consequence of that can be that an antisocial climate and behavior can occur in the centers. For example, some researchers argue that if young people with norm breaking behavior socialize with other young people with norm breaking behavior, which recreation centers can be a place for, then the risk of criminal acts being committed by the adolescents increases. The aim of this study was therefor to investigate if the communal recreation centers in a selected district in Gothenburg, Sweden, actively work to counteract crime among the visiting adolescents. In order to get an answer to the aim of the study I used three questions: - What do the staff at the recreation center consider to be the purpose of their activities? - Does the staff consider that in a recreation center you can work to counteract crime among the visitors? - If there is a work to prevent crime in the recreation center, what does it look like in such cases? Method and data: The method for this study was qualitative and interviews were conducted with 12 interviewees at eight interviews at five different recreations centers. Furthermore, participant observations were conducted at two selected centers. Results: The results in this study shows that different recreations centers, as well as between the staff, differ when it comes to actively work to counteract crime among the visiting adolescents. Through the interviews and the participant observations, it seemed clear that one of the recreation centers where participant observations were conducted actively worked to counteract crime among the visiting adolescents. Strong relationships between the adolescents and the staff and good cooperation between the recreation center and other activities and institutions in the surrounding society are examples of how the recreation center worked with crime prevention. Because of the strong relationships that have been built, the social bond between the staff and the adolescents have become strong, which leads to the adolescents being “under control” and thus they do not commit criminal acts. Likewise, the interviewees from the recreation centers where only interviews were made described that the same type of work was carried out at their recreation center. However, since participant observations were not conducted in their recreation centers it can only be determined that at those recreation centers the staff’s ambitions were to actively work to counteract crime among the visiting adolescents.