Girls and women in criminal networks

Criminal networks are a male phenomenon

The number and proportion of girls considered to be an active part of or linked to criminal networks is very small. All data (statistics, interviews and chat material) indicate that these groups are dominated by boys and men, regardless of how participation is defined.

Girls are rarely involved on the same terms as guys. The study shows that girls are often neither part of nor recruited into the hierarchies of criminal networks. They are thus not part of the hierarchical structures in which boys and young men are expected to prove themselves, rise in status and gradually earn more money. While guys tend to launch their career as errand boys in the lower echelons of the networks, girls may enter laterally through a close relationship with an older boyfriend involved with the network.

Girls do not make a career in criminal networks, generally remain for shorter periods of time and do not need to ‘drop out’ to end their relationship with the criminal network. Girls who have considered themselves as part of a criminal group for a period are characterised by a broad social interaction with the guys, based on respect and mutual loyalty. At the same time, the status of these girls is often dependent on the status and protection of a close male companion (e.g., boyfriend, male friend or brother).

Serious offences

There is a difference between the importance of girls for the criminal networks and the involvement of girls in the criminal networks. Although girls have limited influence in the networks, they play an essential role in the criminal activities. Most commonly, they are tasked with transporting, storing and packing drugs. They are also considered an asset when it comes to perpetrating fraud and lethal violence (for example, by luring victims).

This report shows that the girls surveyed are highly active in crime, albeit to a lesser extent than the guys. The compilation of data on almost 10,000 girls who, according to an assessment by the Swedish Police Authority, are linked or belong to criminal networks, shows that the girls were on average suspected of 18 offences in total and 5 offences in the period of 2021–2023. This compares to the 51,000 boys and men surveyed, who were suspected of 37 offences in total and 8 offences in the three-year period surveyed. Moreover, the share of girls as regards total entries in the suspects database of the Swedish Police Authority is negligible, and they are also less likely to participate in the planning of the offences

More difficult to detect and interchangeable

Girls have different motivations for participating in criminality. Most commonly, they want to earn money or assist close male companions. Girls are mainly in demand because they are considered more difficult to detect by law enforcement. Another important aspect is the loyalty and availability of the girls, given their relationship to male companions. Nevertheless, they are interchangeable. As they are not considered part of the networks, their tasks can be taken over by someone else with the same capabilities. The report shows that girls tend to engage in criminality in three different ways:

1. temporary operations, paid or unpaid (e.g., storage of a weapon)
   
2. ongoing assignments that function as a full-time job (for example,
   drug transport)
   
3. independent activity (such as selling drugs).

There is much evidence that it is more difficult to leave ongoing assignments than to end one’s own activity or turn down a one-off assignment.

Victims as well as perpetrators

The interview material and the analyses of those appearing in police intelligence indicate that many of the girls engage in violence. Almost six in ten have been suspected of at least one violent offence. To some extent, girls are in demand to carry out acts of retribution against other girls, as guys are deemed not capable of abusing girls. At the same time, other evidence suggests that attacks on girls who are close to network-involved guys are considered legitimate.

The surveyed and interviewed girls are both also frequent victims of crime. Brå’s compilation of victim histories shows that, of the 10,000 girls surveyed, 40 per cent were victims of crime during the period 2021–2023. Girls (under 18) are more likely to have been victims of crime than women (over 18).

Victimisation and acts of violence should both be understood in terms of the prevailing norms and conditions in criminal milieux. The report indicates that these girls inhabit an environment with numerous risks and characterised by brutality, economic exploitation and an expectation of sexual availability. Various forms of exploitation and violence are normalised, and many girls are addicted to drugs. To manage risks, many girls must walk a fine line between stereotypical femininity and proving their capacity to go beyond what is expected of a girl.

Friendship and romantic relationships the entry point

Overall, the report shows that social relationships and the early normalisation of crime are often how girls enter criminal milieux. At the same time, it appears that girls’ initial conditions (home life, school, various forms of vulnerability) also play a significant role in how and why relationships with network-involved boyfriends and male friends begin.

Many of the girls interviewed grew up in contexts where new layers of difficulties gradually accumulated atop previous difficulties. These varying difficulties include parents with substance abuse and mental health problems, economic disadvantage, exposure to domestic violence and the girls’ own mental health issues. Several of these girls have a history of school failure, often linked to a delayed diagnosis of ADHD. Many have received interventions (e.g. foster care placements), both early in childhood and during adolescence.

While some grow up with male friends and family members who commit offences linked to criminal networks, others turn to criminal milieux to gain access to drugs. The network-involved boys often have an interest in involving their female friends. They need help storing and transporting drugs, while many girls want to earn money and demonstrate their loyalty to their friends.

Girls commonly enter into a romantic relationship at an early age with an older guy involved in the network, who belongs to the higher echelons of the criminal network. Many guys seek not to involve girls with whom they have a close relation, but a continuous need for labour, a rigid hierarchy among guys and constant crises mean that the involvement of a girlfriend, female friend or sister may eventually be unavoidable.