The issue of young people being drawn into gang-criminal environments has been brought up again in connection with the wave of violence in recent weeks.
During Thursday, the Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that 13-year-old Milo, who was found shot in a forest area in Handen in Haninge last week, fell victim to “the gross and completely reckless gang violence”.
Milo lived in Björkhagen, in southern Stockholm. And according to Luay Mohageb, who is a civilian investigator at the police, youth crime has recently begun to extend far beyond the so-called vulnerable areas.
– It is boys and girls from socio-economically stronger areas who actively seek out these environments as a consequence of the fact that there is so much romanticization in their surroundings and their culture, he says.
– At first it’s like a play world, like a game.
Increased interest in crime and drugs
According to Luay Mohageb, it is not the real criminal life that attracts, but the image of it that is painted.
– It is a glorification, a romanticisation, of the lifestyle that makes it look attractive.
And the same applies to the interest in drugs, which he believes is due to increased ease of access among younger people.
– Curiosity has always been there in all generations, but the fear of what many had a couple of generations ago is not there in the same way.
Young people lead criminal double lives
In his job as an investigator, Luay Mohageb sees more and more boys and girls living a “gangster double life”, as a result of an overconsumption of crime-positive narratives.
And he therefore believes that relatives must be more active in young people’s lives in order to counteract this development.
– Parents must increase their digital presence, there are too many who do not realize that the boy or girl is being radicalized into pro-criminal values, says Luay Mohageb.