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Traditionally, women have been marginalized for their role in criminal behavior. This gender gap is specifically seen in the context of Albania. While historically perceived as committing fewer crimes than men, recent attention to female criminality and shifts in crime statistics underscore the need for deeper examination. This study focuses on female criminality in Albania from 2009 to 2020, analyzing differences in male and female perpetrators, convicts, defendants, and detainees. Utilizing quantitative methods and data from INSTAT (the Institute of Statistics of the Republic of Albania), we investigate changing crime trends and contextualize findings through secondary sources. The analysis identifies gender differences in crime volume, explores specific offenses committed by women, and highlights significant motivators for female criminal behavior over time. Emphasizing theories of opportunity and marginalization, the study reveals an increase in female perpetrators and convicts, with shorter and less severe sentences compared to males, indicating differences in crime severity and judicial treatment between genders. These findings contribute to a more thorough knowledge of gender dynamics in Albania's criminal justice system and inform policy development and enhancement regarding criminality in Albania.

An aim of committing terror is to instill fear in the population. This article explores to what extent Swedish citizens were cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally affected by the 2017 terrorist attack in Stockholm and how the citizens perceived that the authorities handled the situation. The study is based on data from a survey with 1996 participants, consisting of a random sample of people living in Sweden, aged 18–79 years. Our results show that exposure to terrorist acts has a significant negative psychological impact on the population in general and on those who do not feel part of Swedish society in particular. The attack's negative effect was despite the fact that the vast majority of respondents felt that society had handled the attack well and almost half of the respondents stated that they had gained increased confidence in the authorities.

This study reveals awareness among police officers in Stockholm City regarding intentional deviations from current legislation. The findings suggest that officers make these deviations to perform their duties more efficiently, yet the traffic environment poses challenges. The study does not establish clear correlations in terms of factors influencing deviations. Regarding the call for legislative review, a significant majority of officers express a desire for change. They feel constrained by existing laws concerning their tasks and the unique traffic conditions in Stockholm City, indicating a perceived lack of alignment between legislation and operational needs. The study prompts the question of whether this phenomenon is specific to Stockholm City or extends nationally. Future research covering multiple police areas in Sweden would provide valuable insights. 

I den här rapporten presenterar vi resultat från forskningsprojektet ”Våld mot samiska kvinnor” som 2021-2024 genomförts av forskargruppen Lávvuo vid Umeå Universitet, på uppdrag av Sámediggi (Sametinget i Sverige).

Rapporten består av en kvantitativ och en kvalitativ del, samt fem åtgärdsförslag riktade till Sveriges regering.

De kvantitativa resultaten i korthet

Den kvantitativa delen av rapporten baseras på enkätundersökningen Samisk hälsa på lika villkor som genomfördes 2021. Resultaten har jämförts med Sveriges befolkning genom den nationella enkäten Sexuell och reproduktiv hälsa genomförd 2017. 

Det övergripande mönstret är att kvinnor är betydligt mer utsatta för våld än män, samt att samiska kvinnor 2021 uppger en högre våldsutsatthet än kvinnor i Sverige 2017, för de flesta typer av våld.

• Över hälften av de samiska kvinnorna har utsatts för sexuellt våld (55,5 procent), sju av tio har utsatts för psykiskt våld (68,5 procent) och nästan var tredje för fysiskt våld (27,9 procent).
• En större andel samiska kvinnor än kvinnor i Sverige i stort uppger utsatthet för de grövsta formerna av sexuellt våld, såsom våldtäktsförsök (14,1 jämfört med 10,6 procent) och våldtäkt (10,3 jämfört med 7,0 procent).
• En större andel samiska kvinnor än kvinnor i Sverige i stort uppger utsatthet för psykiskt våld, både sammantaget (68,5 jämfört med 50,9 procent) och vad gäller alla de former av psykiskt våld som undersöktes.
• Även när det gällde fysiskt våld rapporterade samiska kvinnor (27,9 procent) en högre utsatthet jämfört med kvinnor i Sverige (22,0 procent).
• Samiska kvinnors utsatthet för våld varierar med både ålder och geografi. Överlag var utsattheten högst bland kvinnor yngre än 45 år. Geografiskt var utsattheten för sexuellt och fysiskt våld högre bland samiska kvinnor i mellersta och södra Sverige, med undantag av Stockholmsområdet. För psykiskt våld hade samiska kvinnor i Jämtland Härjedalen en högre utsatthet.
• Det finns flera starka samband mellan olika typer av våldsutsatthet och psykisk och fysisk ohälsa. Upprepad våldsutsatthet (fler än en gång) är förenat med ännu högre risk för ohälsa, särskilt psykisk ohälsa. Starkast är detta samband när det gäller stress och självmordstankar.
• När det gäller diskriminering och rasism uppger en betydande andel av samer i Sverige att de utsatts någon gång i livet. Liksom för andra former av våld i denna undersökning visar analysen att en högre andel samiska kvinnor (44,5 procent) utsatts jämfört med samiska män (37,0 procent).
• HBTQ-samer är mer våldsutsatta än andra samer. Detta gäller sexuellt våld (64,6 jämfört med 30,9 procent), psykiskt våld (81,7 jämfört med 58,4 procent) och fysiskt våld (43,8 jämfört med 25,5 procent).

De kvalitativa resultaten i korthet

Den kvalitativa delen baseras på intervjuer med professionella som arbetar inom samhällets stödstrukturer för våldsutsatta i olika delar av den svenska delen av Sápmi.

• Intervjustudien visar att våld mot samiska kvinnor är en fråga som behöver förstås i relation till den bredare politiska och historiska, koloniala, och könade kontext som våldet utspelar sig i.
• Frågan om våld mot samiska kvinnor osynliggörs och beskrivs som svår att adressera – både i det samiska samhället och i majoritetssamhället.
• Kunskapen om det samiska samhället är låg inom samhällets stödstrukturer. Deltagare beskrev att samiska perspektiv saknas i styrdokument kring mäns våld mot kvinnor och i befintlig terminologi. Detta gör att förhållanden i det samiska samhället som kan påverka den våldsutsattas situation negligeras i mötet med samiska klienter, patienter och brukare som utsätts för våld.
• Frågan om våld mot samiska kvinnor beskrevs som ”känslig” och ”laddad”. Sammantaget framträder ett stigma kring frågan och en oro för att ”göra fel” eller bidra till fördomar och rasism mot samer, både i det samiska samhället och majoritetssamhället.
• Problemet med våld mot samiska kvinnor beskrevs som svår att adressera inom en redan marginaliserad samisk kontext, där värnandet av samiska kollektiva rättigheter har prioriterats.
• Det finns en rad särskilda förhållanden knutna till det samiska samhället som är viktiga att ha kunskap om och vara lyhörd för i mötet med våldsutsatta samiska personer och i arbetet för att motverka våld mot samiska kvinnor.
• Närheten och lokalkännedomen i mindre samhällen beskrevs som styrkor, men samtidigt lyftes utmaningar såsom bristande anonymitet, resurser, kompetens och insatser. Svårigheten att vara anonym och långa geografiska avstånd till samhällets stöd beskrevs som extra påtagligt i det samiska samhället. Stark samhörighet i det samiska samhället beskrevs som positivt men också potentiellt problematiskt när det gäller den utsattas situation.
• Bristande tillit till myndigheter bland samer är en potentiell barriär för att nå och stötta våldsutsatta samiska kvinnor. Den bristande tilliten relaterades till både historiska och samtida erfarenheter av okunskap, förtryck, rasism och diskriminering.
• Deltagare beskrev ojämställdhet och tystnad kring våld mot kvinnor i det samiska samhället, och att våld mot kvinnor ofta hanteras internt. Tystnaden knöts till en lojalitet med samiska män, ett ideal att samiska kvinnor ska vara starka och klara sig själva, samt en vilja att skydda familjen och det samiska kollektivet.
• Ett centralt hinder för utsatta kvinnor att lämna en våldsam relation beskrevs vara rädslan för att uppbrottet skulle innebära förlust av deras samiska sammanhang. Ens samiska identitet beskrevs till exempel som nära knuten till platsen och markerna och därmed som svår att upprätthålla vid flytt till en annan ort för att söka skydd.

Åtgärdsförslag till Sveriges regering

Baserat på de utvecklingsbehov som identifierats genom detta forskningsprojekt utmynnar rapporten i fem åtgärdsförslag riktade till den svenska regeringen.

1. Uppdra åt Sametinget att följa upp och samordna arbetet för att motverka våld mot samiska kvinnor.
2. Utforma en nationell policy för att motverka våld mot samiska kvinnor.
3. Utveckla stödstrukturer för våldsutsatta samiska kvinnor och flickor.
4. Genomför kortsiktiga utbildningsinsatser.
5. Säkra långsiktig kunskapsproduktion och kompetenshöjning.

In recent years, Sweden has witnessed a rise in criminal activity, notably in organized crime, gang violence, and incidents like shootings and explosions. This trend has sparked considerable political and media debates, in Sweden and internationally. This paper analyses how the Swedish police authority comprehend the situation discursively. How do they define their role and mission in society? What problems do they identify? What goals and strategies do they propose, and what values are attached to these? This is illustrated by policy documents and website materials from the police authority. The results show three main problematizations: crime and crime fighting, working within the police organization, and relations between the police and citizens. Key findings are that the police authority represents crimes and the role of the police in different ways depending on what type of crime discussed, and that they connect various aspects of police work to non-repressive values, such as trust and safety.

Introduction: Medical First Responders (MFRs) in the emergency department SUMMA 112 are tasked with handling the initial management of Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI) and building response capabilities. Training plays a crucial role in preparing these responders for effective disaster management. Yet, evaluating the impact of such training poses challenges since true competency can only be proven amid a major event. As a substitute gauge for training effectiveness, self-efficacy has been suggested.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to employ a pre- and post-test assessment of changes in perceived self-efficacy among MFRs following an intervention focused on the initial management of MCI. It also aimed to evaluate a self-efficacy instrument for its validity and reliability in this type of training.

Method: In this study, we used a pretest (time 1 = T1) – post-test (time 2 = T2) design to evaluate how self-efficacy changed after a training intervention with 201 MFRs in initial MCI management. ANOVA within-subjects and between subjects analyses were used. Results: The findings reveal a noteworthy change in self-efficacy before and after training among the 201 participants. This suggests that the training intervention positively affected participants’ perceived capabilities to handle complex situations like MCI.

Conclusion: The results allow us to recommend a training program with theory components together with practical workshops and live, large-scale simulation exercises for the training of medical first responders in MCI, as it significantly increases their perception of the level of self-efficacy for developing competencies associated with disaster response.

In Sweden learning within the police force is characterized by the transfer of knowledge from experienced, elder colleagues to younger, less experienced peers. The associated risk with thislearning approach is that police officers may execute tasks without a fundamentalunderstanding or knowledge of their purpose. This qualitative study examines theimplementation of hot spot-policing in an area flagged as a risk zone called Tureberg in Sollentuna. The study conducted semi structured interviews with seven officers to exploretheir perspectives on hot spot-policing, focusing mainly on their methods, challenged andpotential areas for improvement. Thematic analysis is used to analyze data for findingthemes. Prior research has identified two primary methods related to hot spot policing:traditional policing tactics and problem-oriented interventions. Problem-orientedinterventions offers significant benefits compared to traditional tactics. The officers expressa belief that they lack information about the purpose and theory behind the hot spot-method.This knowledge gap constrains motivation, presenting challenges for officers to sustain theircommitment and make qualitative contributions. Despite their opinions, officers occasionallyemploy methods that are problem-oriented, diverse, and inclusive of the community,although contributions many times lean towards traditional approaches. This studyrecommends that officers are given the opportunity to continue acquiring new and updatedinformation about the method. It also advocates for further ongoing development of policecommunityrelations within hot spot-policing and increased transparency of police officersin the preparatory work, as well as in the subsequent results and analysis of hot spot-policingefforts.

This thesis aims to investigate the decision-making process of duty officers within the Swedish Police Authority in relation to the search for missing persons. Each year, thousands of disappearances are reported in Sweden, creating a pressured situation for the police where quick and accurate decisions are crucial for saving lives. Through qualitative interviews with duty officers, the study identifies the factors and risk indicators that influence the assessment of whether a person should be classified as missing or disappeared. The thesis also highlights the challenges faced by duty officers, such as time constraints and the need for reliable methodological support to make effective risk assessments. The results show that a combination of experience, access to current tools, and a clear decision-making process is essential for managing these complex situations. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the police's work with missing persons and provides insights that can improve future decision-making in the field.

Police officers frequently interact with the public, and many of these interactions involve some form of conflict. As professionals, and representatives of the state, police officers are expected to handle these conflicts in a professional and just manner to maintain positive relationships with the public. Therefore, solid conflict management skills are necessary for any officer in a democratic society. The present scoping review examines the current state of research on police involved conflicts and conflict management in a police context. Results indicate that a majority of the studies have been conducted in the USA and that many of these studies focus on use of force rather than effective conflict management strategies and methods. The study further indicates a number of methodological difficulties in researching this important area of policing, including difficulties in obtaining data as well as a lack of unified definitions of concepts and methods.

As Swedish law enforcement embraces interviewing techniques that rely on psychological concepts and interpersonal skills, the teaching of these main ideas needs to be a central part of police education. This presentation willdiscuss how concepts familiar in psychology are understood and taught within Swedish police education today. Usingmaterials from the Swedish police authority, teaching resources, and the scientific literature, this presentation aimsto show how police education is adopting psychological perspectives and how psychological research and educationcan benefit in training police. We will also present future studies to further develop and incorporate psychologicalperspectives in educating law enforcement.

A crucial part of the crime investigation process is the investigative interview. Each interview is aninstance of law enforcement and the public meeting to exchange information. Interviews thus carry agreat deal of weight in both the investigation and public relations. Although the main goal ofinterviewing is often to get information related to an investigation, interviews are also anopportunity for law enforcement to offer support, give information, gain trust, and connect withindividuals in the community. Previous research has found that a humane interviewing style thatfocuses on building trust, good communication, and remaining objective while listening to the otherperson’s account has advantages such as eliciting more detailed accounts and more truthfulinformation. This style of interviewing has also been shown to be strategically beneficial regardless ofif the interviewee is a suspect, witness, or victim. However, researchers are still debating how toimplement empathy and rapport-building behaviors in interviews. There is a great need for researchon how police officers acquire the core skills needed for good communication, building rapport, andestablishing trust during interviews. The aim of this project is to better understand how humane andempathetic interviewing is implemented in Swedish police education in order to achieve a largeremphasis on building and maintaining rapport, empathy, and emotion regulation. This project willuse both quantitative and qualitative methods to approach the research questions. The goal is tohelp the police both in getting as much information as possible, as well as improve the experiences ofthe interview for both the police and the interviewee. Understanding and implementing a morehumane approach to interviewing could help individual officers de-escalate tense situations andnavigate their own stress responses, as well as help strengthen community trust in policing wheninteracting with interviewees.

In recent years, neobanks have established themselves as new financial actors to meetcustomer demand for more efficient banking management by offering a mix of traditionaland innovative services without always holding a full banking license in all countries theyoperate in. Prior research on neobanks is limited but indicates that neobanks run the risk ofbeing used in financial crimes such as money laundering and terrorism financing. This studyaddresses a research gap by examining how law enforcement agencies interact withneobanks regarding the provision of information related to financial crime. A qualitativemethod is used, with semi-structured interviews with officials at criminal investigationauthorities. The empirical evidence is analyzed by identifying themes and then applying acustom analysis model for interpretation to achieve understandings of how formal andinformal institutions and legitimacy influence authorities and neobanks. The study showsthat information gathering from neobanks is lacking in criminal investigations, that theinternal routines of the criminal investigation authorities are unclear, and that internationalcooperation should be developed. Moreover, neobanks intend to collaborate with criminalinvestigation authorities but there are identified risks which may affect neobanks deficienciesto report suspicious transactions. The conclusion is that information retrieval on financialcrime related to neobanks should be improved. Mainly by developing legislation to includeneobanks alongside traditional banks, clarifying and streamlining procedures for crossborderinvestigations, increasing international cooperation between countries, and carryingout internal training efforts to increase knowledge within authorities. The study alsoconcludes an important signal value to investigate economic crimes related to neobanks.

This study delves into two key facets of police engagement with new legislation: how officers become aware about new laws and how they develop the competence to apply them. The motivation behind this research is to identify potential gaps in knowledge transfer and competency necessary for the application of new legal frameworks.

The study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and involved seven interviewees from the Swedish Police Authority. Officers contend with a deluge of information from various channels, leading to challenges in prioritizing crucial data, such as new legislation, amid the deluge. Official channels like internal platforms and emails serve as primary information sources, but unofficial channels like news media and personal contacts hold comparable importance.

Mastering legislation goes beyond textual comprehension, emphasizing the translation of legal requisites into practical knowledge. The integration of practical knowledge and intent equips officers to effectively implement new laws. Collaborative interpretation among officers fosters the transition of individual knowledge into shared organizational expertise. While acknowledging the responsibility of individual officers to stay updated, supervisors play a pivotal role in encouraging and mandating continuous professional development.

Notably, while prior research emphasizes knowledge transfer from senior to junior officers, this study underscores the significance of specialized colleagues versed in legislation, irrespective of their tenure, for practical application.

Violence continues to shape Swedish society, leading to vulnerability and concern, especially affecting young people, with injuries, anxiety, and life-limiting aspects as consequences. Based on this issue, the study aims to interdisciplinarily examine exposure to violence, risk perception regarding violence, and trust, with a specific focus on what influences trust in the Police. This can hopefully contribute to a deeper understanding of the area and hopefully lead to more effective trust- and security building police work. The study applies a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative semi-structured interviews, with the data material analyzed through cross-tabulation analysis and qualitative content analysis. The total data set consists of 766 respondents (survey) and 7 informants (interviews). The results generally suggest that exposure is relatively frequent, both regarding physical- and sexual violence, with a noteworthy high exposure to physical violence against women. Regarding risk perception the concern is widespread, where primarily the concern for the vulnerability of other individuals is prominent. There is also a notable relationship between actual exposure to violence and higher anxiety. Regarding trust in the Police, it is generally high, where many feel a considerable degree of trust in the work of the Police. Overall, the study indicates several associations and factors that influence exposure, risk perception, and trust to varying degrees. The study's most prominent findings applies to trust, where both actual exposure to violence and high anxiety tend to negatively affect trust. Furthermore, the police's treatment, engagement, and effectiveness are considered additional factors that influence trust. With regard to this, the study's results suggest that minor negative events can affect young people's trust, making police treatment significant for trust- and security building work and for maintaining a high level of trust.

In extreme situations, the police have limited time to react when a threat or a situation arises suddenly. Situation awareness has been identified as a key factor for success in how tactical decisions are made. This helps the police to perform secure and legally correct interventions and decisions. We collected the primary data from 21 interviews with police officers, supplemented by literature and documents. We analyzed the relationship between tactical methods and situation awareness. The purpose of the article is to explore the relationship between police tactics and police officers’ work with situation awareness. Situation awareness has been studied through the lens of the Swedish police general tactical explanation model. We discuss how the general tactical explanation model provides the conditions for the police officers’ explanations to achieve situation awareness. We conclude that if the general tactical explanation model is applied during tactical interventions there are better possibilities to achieve situation awareness.

This study investigates how the follow-up of situational crime prevention is conducted in police district Stockholm Nord within the Police Region Stockholm. The method of the study is a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with the function operational coordinator which is the function who has the command authority on the operational command level. Six interviews were conducted with one representative from six out of seven existing local police districts in police district Stockholm Nord. After the interviews were conducted and all the data collected, a thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The results showed that the follow-up on crime prevention within police district Nord was regularly conducted, even on a daily basis with each shift reporting their own follow-ups. The method used to conduct the follow-up is with an application the Swedish Police Authority developed on its own named Chatt, an application that makes it possible for the user to complete the follow-up on their mobile telephone instead of using a computer at the police station. The results also show that, despite that the follow-ups are conducted on a regular basis, the data collected isn’t analyzed and evaluated enough to be used optimally as help for the operational coordinator to prioritize the exclusive resources that is police officers today in Stockholm. One of the main conclusions is therefore that the Swedish Police Authority needs to strengthen its capability to analyze and evaluate the situational crime prevention being conducted within the local police districts to make sure to use its resources in the best possible way.

The current political and legal discourse in the Swedish society is how we should fight gang- and organized crime in the best way. In 2019 the current government therefore proposed a 34-point program (34-punkts programmet) proposing four focus areas to combat the problem. One tool in that toolbox is expedited prosecution (snabbare lagföring) which was introduced to streamline the process of prosecuting volume crime. The method started as a trial in Stockholm in 2018, but since 2023 has been implemented as a permanent method within the entire Police Authority as part of the program against gang crime and organized crime. The aim to understand how police officers on patrol experience the method and in the theory part, to describe how implementation theory and crime prevention in the form of deterrence are the basis. The essay has a qualitative approach where material has been collected through interviews with 8 police officers on patrol where, after transcribing, the material has been analyzed through thematic analysis. The result shows that there is no consensus in the experience of why the method was implemented, but that all respondents generally have a positive experience of the method. Furthermore, the Police Authority needs to systematically collect suggestions of improvement and further on, evaluate the method to move towards evidence-based policing.

Crime prevention is highly important, but often poorly implemented. This article explores reasons for this by examining the knowledge and perceptions of crime prevention of surveyed Swedish police students (n=303) and whether their education influences their perceptions. The students indicated that they had received opportunities to practice, and acquired skills to engage in, crime prevention, but their education had focused more on other aspects of police work. They also had more polarized attitudes toward crime prevention than other kinds of police work: some regarded it as very important, while others ranked it much lower. Generally, they saw crime prevention as lower status and less as “real police work” than intervention work. Students in their first and last semesters and those with varying levels of knowledge of crime prevention reported similar perceptions of crime prevention. The results illuminate why crime prevention is hard to implement in daily police work.

The purpose of this paper was to study the relationship between overtime work and stress.How are employees affected when they work a lot of overtime? Are employees negativelyaffected when staffing shortages are solved with overtime work? And how does the individualemployee feel when there is a risk of being ordered to work against their will due to staffingshortages? The study is delimited to one police region of the Swedish police authority. Thepaper has been conducted as a qualitative interview study and has been carried out with asemi-structured interview guide. The study concluded that it is possible to work a lot ofovertime without the employee experiencing any form of stress. The informants in the studyhave worked up to 500 overtime hours over an 11-month period. It was also not possible todemonstrate any negative stress due to staffing shortages which are solved with overtime.Nor did the risk of being assigned to involuntary overtime cause the informants to experienceany form of negative stress at work.

Investigating online child sexual abuse (CSA) crimes is challenging for law enforcement agencies, demanding both digital expertise and knowledge about offences against children while exacting a mental toll on investigators. This article identifies challenges in the investigative process, drawing on audit reports, interviews with police management, observations of meetings, and a workshop with online CSA investigators. The findings reveal difficulties in resource allocation due to varying case sizes and rapid escalation. In addition, while online CSA investigators handle most cases, they require support from other police units; however, a widespread fear of these cases among non-specialized investigators complicates collaborative efforts. Lastly, a culture of organizational “compartmentalization” was described as hindering collaboration, as different branches of investigation remain separated. We discuss how these challenges pose problems to online CSA investigation practices.

The study examined the possibilities for detection of deception in police interrogations with focus on the detection methods through verbal-, non-verbal-, and paralinguistic indicators. The research for the study was based on forensic psychological research combined with the social psychological theory, Interpersonal Deception Theory, shortened as IDT. The literature study was able to identify reliable methods for lie detection in the light of IDT. The results showed that verbal indicators are more reliable to detect lies compared to non-verbal indicators and paralinguistic indicators. Verbal indicators include, but are not limited to, inconsistencies, vague descriptions and the use of passive expressions when speaking. Non-verbal indicators, which are for example body language and mimicry, show value but are also more susceptible to manipulation and are sensitive to the variability in contexts, which in turn fundamentally reduces their practical effectiveness. Paralinguistic indicators which include, but are not limited to, different changes in tone, speech rate and pauses give adequate reliability. They have a reduced effect by the factor for the need of knowledge of the speaker’s normal behavior. Limited knowledge about the speaker’s time to prepare for the police interrogation also reduces its effectiveness. The results from the forensic psychology were in line with IDT’s propositions and strategies. This study highlights the importance of lie detection training based on scientific methods, and ethical considerations in applying these methods to ensure objectivity and justice throughout the justice system.

Psychological vulnerabilities are more common in people subjected to police interventions and interviews than in the background population. Such vulnerabilities have the capacity to intervene with the demands of police interrogations resulting in less or poorer information achieved from the interview. According to the theory of procedural justice the characteristics of the authorities’ interactions with the public shape the latter’s view of the authorities and their willingness to cooperate with, for instance, police and obey the law.This study examined the views and experiences of Swedish police officers on interrogating suspects with known or suspected psychiatric illness or psychological vulnerability. Results showed that police officers perceived such vulnerabilities as a challenge to holding interrogations of good quality and a significant perceived shortage of knowledge and training as to how to address those challenges. Furthermore, respondents proved to have a rather narrow definition as to what they perceived to be psychiatric illness or psychological vulnerability and stress the importance of, to the greatest possible extent, treating all subjects equally. Some informants also described a role conflict between the objective and focused role of a police investigator and that of a professional meeting vulnerable suspects in need of special regard, treatment and care. The study implicates a need to further develop police interrogation training and supervision, perhaps in concert with psychiatric professionals. The procedural justice theory provides a rational for how such improvements could potentially improve the target population’s interactions with the police and even reduce actual crime rates.

The European Union consists of 27 countries with different history and cultural context. As the police are a part of the public administration, it is natural that national differences affect the organizations and tasks of the European police forces. Meanwhile, the growing international criminality and the need for international peace-building operations calls for more cooperation. It is reasonable to believe that an enhanced understanding of the differences within the union is important to increase the ability to cooperate. The study aims to raise the knowledge about policing in post-communist countries in the European Union by studying the police in Lithuania and Hungary. The study is based on the conventional theory about the decentralized and service-oriented Anglo-Saxon and the centralized security-oriented Continental policing traditions and on the theory about the police being protective, repressive, or predatory. The study explains differences in policing considering fundamental contextual constructions within the countries. It is based on written sources, such as laws regarding police work, previous research, and statistics about the level of corruption. The main finding is that in both countries (slightly more in Lithuania) since independence there has been an ambition to become more decentralized and service-oriented (following the Anglo-Saxon tradition). Still, at the same time, there has been a tendency towards centralism (following the continental tradition). This is more visible in times of internal disturbances but also seems connected with a lack of resources.

Police culture is a widely discussed topic in Police Science, yet loosely defined concept. Several studies have been made on the topic, yet there is still a lot a lot of questions to be answered. Police culture has been identified as a composition of several informal and structural elements that form and shape police officers social and behavioral perception, including suspicion, authority, cynicism towards the the department, politics and society, solidarity among police officers, loyalty towards each other, occupational identity and autonomy. This culture is thought to be shared among officers working in the line of duty, creating a strong bond towards each other, making policing a call rather than a job. Could this strong bond of blue also be a wall against the society, making officers lonely? Is police culture the answer on the question what makes a cop, a cop? In this study focus will be on the Swedish Border Police, making the study the first ever made in Swedish context.

Objective: Despite participating in scenario training, many medical first responders (MFRs) perceive themselves as inadequately prepared to respond to mass casualty incidents (MCIs). The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive examination of traditional MCI scenario training methods, focusing on their inherent strengths and limitations. An investigation into the perceptions of MFRs who had participated in MCI scenario training was carried out to identify potential areas for improvement and provide recommendations for refining MCI training protocols.

Design: Qualitative inductive approach using semistructured interviews that took place between October 2021 and February 2022. Data were analysed with qualitative content analysis.

Setting: MCI scenario training involving four organisations (three emergency medical services and one search-and-rescue organisation) tasked with responding to MCIs, collectively representing four European Union countries.

Participants: 27 MFRs (17 emergency medical services personnel and 10 search-and-rescue volunteers) were recruited to participate in the study.

Results: Two categories and seven associated subcategories (shown in parentheses) were identified as influencing the learning outcomes for MFRs: Training in a context mirroring real-world incidents (conducting incident scene risk assessment, realistic representation in casualties, incorporating scenario variety into the curriculum, interagency collaboration, role alignment when training incident site management) and use of a pedagogical framework (allowing for mistakes, the importance of post-training evaluation).

Conclusions: This study reaffirms the value of traditional MCI scenario training and identifies areas for enhancement, advocating for realistic scenarios, interagency collaboration, improved incident site management skills and thorough post-training evaluation. It suggests a shift in MCI training conceptualisation and delivery. The potential of virtual reality technologies as a valuable addition to training methods is explored, with a note on the need for further research to ascertain the long-term effectiveness of these technologies. However, the selection of a training method should consider programme goals, target population and resources.

Context: This study is about the teaching method of simulation exercises and is set in a police education context. Simulation exercises are a central part of Swedish police education, and therefore it is of interest to explore how they are used, and for what purpose, by investigating police teachers' perceptions of this teaching and learning method. Police teachers are police officers who work as teachers at a police education unit on contracts lasting a few years, but which can be extended, and they usually lack any formal pedagogical training. 

Approach: In this study, the exploration of the use of simulation exercises was conducted through an inductive approach which included semi-structured interviews with 12 police teachers. The analysis was carried out in several steps. To promote impartiality in the initial data analysis the researcher first stayed close to the data and connection with the findings of previous studies was only considered in the latter stages of this analytic process. 

Findings: The findings show that the police teachers perceive that the overall purpose of simulation exercises is for students to apply specific content taught in courses, both physical techniques and methods, and more theoretical knowledge, in the fluid context of scenarios relevant to police work. The results also show that the teachers are aware that the purpose of the exercises is stated in the planning documents, but because they inherit the designs from previous teachers, they may not be aware of the underlying details of it or what is to be achieved in the scenario. The findings also demonstrate that the teachers learn the craft of designing and performing simulation exercises and develop their roles as teachers through an informal workplace learning process that involves tacit knowledge developed through working together, and by talking to and observing each other. 

Conclusion: The paper contributes to the field of simulation exercises in vocational (higher) education in that the findings can provide educated arguments for the need for scholarly discussions on simulation exercises as a pedagogical tool that supports student learning, as well as arguments for why formal pedagogically-oriented continuing education on the design and implementation of simulation exercises where learning is in the foreground may be needed to support police teachers' professional development. 

In many educational programmes preparing students for professions where human interaction is central, the development of empathic ability is of importance. The aim of this study was to explore attitudes towards the importance of empathy in police work among police students. The intention was also to investigate if attitudes would change over time during education, and whether gender differences could be observed. A modified version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy was administered to 355 Swedish police students in a mixed method design, including both between- and within-groups comparisons. Attitudes toward the importance of empathy were measured before and after a practical internship. The result showed that the students in general found empathic ability important, but also that they did not change their attitudes over time .The results were conflicting when it came to gender differences. There was no significant result for the between-group sample, but female students reported significantly higher compared to male students in the between-within group. This research is valuable in the discussion on how “soft skills” such as empathic ability can be assessed and developed in students in preparation for professional practice, and can also be useful in educational evaluation and planning.

The increasing prevalence of threats and violence against ambulance clinicians is a critical issue that has not been adequately studied. These incidents pose significant challenges to the provision of prehospital emergency care, affecting both the safety and well-being of the clinicians involved. This study aimed to explore the experiences of Swedish ambulance clinicians when encountering threats and violence during their work. A qualitative approach was used, involving semi-structured interviews with 11 ambulance clinicians from various regions of Sweden. The participants were selected to ensure diversity in gender, age, and educational background. The data were collected over three weeks in 2021 and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The analysis revealed three key categories related to the challenges faced by ambulance clinicians: Police cooperation challenges, Strategies for a safe care environment, and Impact during and relief after stressful events. These categories highlight the complexities of managing threats and violence in the field. This study sheds light on the multifaceted challenges that ambulance clinicians face due to threats and violence. It underscores the urgent need for comprehensive training, effective communication, and clear role allocation in complex situations. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of organized support systems to help clinicians cope with the aftermath of stressful events.

This qualitative thematic study aimed to examine the placement of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors in compulsory institutional care in Sweden, to expand knowledge regarding their care and treatment. The dataset comprised official documents and anonymized journal documents from personnel detailing the experiences of twenty-five unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors in compulsory institutional care organized by the Swedish National Board of Institutional Care in 2015. The study identified three main themes: traumatic life events and mental health, alignment between needs, goals, and treatment, and language difficulties. The findings revealed a high prevalence of severe traumatic experiences among the asylum-seeking minors, with half having endured significant psychological and physical trauma. Mental health issues were inconsistently addressed, and prior traumas were often overlooked in care planning. The majority exhibited various mental health problems, underscoring the need for tailored interventions. The study highlights challenges in aligning unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors' individual needs, treatment goals, and provided care. Language barriers emerged as a critical concern, impeding effective communication and treatment. Approximately 80% of the asylum-seeking minors experienced difficulties in understanding and expressing themselves in Swedish. The limited use of professional interpreters further exacerbated this issue. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions to better support unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors within compulsory institutional settings.