Almost every tenth student in grade nine has stolen something in the past year according to a survey by the Crime Prevention Council 2023.
But when the police in Borås call the young people and their parents for questioning, it happens all too often that it is the police who are scolded by the parents instead.
According to Svensk handel, young people shoplifting is an all-too-common sequence in stores’ surveillance cameras. Often it may not always be about huge sums, but when they are found out and then called for questioning with their parents, the anger can rather be directed at the police.
– They say things like why do you investigate thefts of SEK 40? Was it necessary to call us here. I had to leave my job. But they don’t understand the seriousness of this, says Ilja Rajkovic, who works with youth crime at the police in Borås.
Want to protect the child
He says he sees an increased tendency towards this type of behavior from parents.
– You think you want to protect your child, but what do you protect them from?
In Brå’s report School crime survey 2023, almost every tenth student states that they stole something in the past year. And according to the police, it has become increasingly common for parents to fail to see their own parental responsibility.
– I can get a little tired of people blaming society all the time. It is society and the police, social services and the school that must solve things, says Ilja Rajkovic, but adds that most guardians behave well, but that there are those who do not take their parental responsibility.