Girls and women in criminal networks

Criminal networks are a male phenomenon

The number and proportion of girls considered to be active members 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.

An overall conclusion is that the few girls who are part of the networks do
not participate on the same terms as the guys. The study shows that it is
unusual for girls to be recruited in the same way as guys. They rarely become
part of the hierarchical structures of criminal networks, where boys and
young men are expected to prove themselves, rise in status and gradually
earn more money. While guys tend to launch their careers as errand boys in
the lower echelons of the networks, girls tend to enter laterally through a
romantic relationship with a boyfriend involved in 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 network.

Girls who have considered themselves as part of a criminal group for a
period of time are characterised by 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 enabling lethal violence (e.g. by luring victims to a
location).

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 nearly 10,000 girls
whom the Swedish Police Authority has assessed as belonging to or being
linked to criminal networks shows that, on average, these girls have been
suspected of 18 offences in total3 and 5 offences during the period 2021–
2023. This can be compared with the 51,000 guys surveyed, who were
suspected of 37 offences in total and 8 offences in the three-year period
surveyed. Furthermore, girls account for a negligible proportion of the total
number of registered suspected offences and are also less likely to be
involved in planning crimes.

More difficult to detect and replaceable

The girls interviewed mainly gave two reasons for committing crime: to earn
money and to help out their male companions. Girls are mainly in demand
in the criminal networks 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. At the same time,
they are replaceable. 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 tasks, paid or unpaid (e.g. storing a weapon)
2. ongoing tasks that amount to full-time work (e.g. drug shipments)
3. independent activity (such as selling drugs).

There is much to suggest that it is more difficult to walk away from ongoing
tasks than to end one’s own operations or turn down a one-off task.

Both victims and perpetrators

The interview material and the analyses of the police intelligence population
indicate that many of the girls engage in violence. Almost six in ten have
been suspected of at least one violent offence (often assault or robbery). To
some extent, girls are in demand to carry out acts of retribution against
other girls, as guys are not considered capable of assaulting girls. At the
same time, other data indicates that acts against female relatives of guys
involved in the criminal network are considered legitimate.

Both the girls identified and those interviewed are also frequent victims of
crime. Brå’s compilation of victim histories shows that, of the 10,000 girls
surveyed, 68 per cent were victims of crime during the period 2014–2023.

Both victimisation and perpetration of violence should be understood in the
context of the norms and conditions that prevail in criminal milieux. The
report indicates that these girls find themselves in a high-risk environment
characterised by brutality, financial exploitation and an expectation of
sexual availability. Various forms of exploitation and violence are
normalised, and many girls are also drug users. To manage the risks, many
of the girls must walk a fine line between stereotypical femininity and
proving themselves to be more capable than what is expected of a girl.

Friendship and romantic relationships are the entry
point

Overall, the report shows that social relationships and the early
normalisation of crime are often the girls’ entry point into criminal milieux.
At the same time, it emerges that their initial circumstances (home life,
school, various forms of vulnerability) also play a significant role in how and
why they enter into relationships with male friends and boyfriends involved
in criminal networks.

Many of the girls interviewed had a childhood in which new layers of
difficulties gradually built on previous ones. These difficulties include
parents with substance abuse problems, poor financial circumstances,
exposure to domestic violence and their own mental health issues. Several of
these girls have a history of failure at school, often linked to a delayed
diagnosis of ADHD. Many have received interventions (e.g. placement in
foster care), both early in childhood and during adolescence.

While some grow up with male friends and family members who commit crimes linked to criminal networks, others turn to criminal milieux to gain access to drugs. The guys involved in these networks 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.

It is also common for the girls to enter into a romantic relationship at an
early age with an older guy in the higher echelons of the criminal network.
Many guys strive not to involve girls in their close circle, but a constant need
for manpower, a strict hierarchy among the guys and constant crisis
situations may make involving a girlfriend, female friend or sister
unavoidable in the long run.