Siblinghood as support and risk. A study of young siblings of criminals
Facts
- Contact person:
- Sara Eldén
- Financer:
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- Forte
- Responsible at MaU:
- Sara Eldén
- Project members at MaU:
- External project members:
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- Veronika Burcar Alm Linnéuniversitetet
- Affiliated:
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- David Wästerfors Lunds universitet
- Katherine Davies University of Sheffield
- Lucas Gottzén Stockholms universitet
- Collaborators :
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- BUFFF - Barn och ungdom med förälder/familjemedlem i fängelse
- Time frame:
- 01 January 2026 - 31 December 2029
- Faculty/department:
- Research subject:
About the project
Young siblings of criminals have been identified as a group at risk: they are at high risk of being exposed to and becoming involved in criminality themselves, and are often socially and economically vulnerable. At the same time, siblingship is a very important relationship during childhood and adolescence, in relation to identity formation, transmission of social capital, care and support. Young siblings of criminals are invisible in both research and social discourse. They constitute a group that can be expected to grow, given current social developments with more young people involved in crime, lowered criminal responsibility age, and more young people incarcerated. This project contributes to knowledge about siblingship and criminality based on the young people’s own experiences, analysed through a theoretical framework bringing together family sociology, criminology and childhood sociology, focusing on the specific dynamics of siblingship.
Our research questions are:
- How is siblinghood done and maintained between young siblings (aged 10-19 years), and their criminal siblings? How have their common sibling practices changed in relation to one sibling’s criminality?
- How do young siblings of criminals understand and create their identity, in relation to the sibling, family, and social environment (school, neighbourhood, kin, friends)?
- How does the sibling’s criminality affect the young person's care, family and everyday situation?
The project studies siblingship and criminality through interviews with young siblings of criminals (10-19 years, 25 informants), and siblings who have been convicted of offences (15 informants). By including both groups, the dynamics of siblinghood are highlighted: the complex relationships, practices and emotions that surround siblings when a sibling is involved in crime.