Social theories of crime turn attention toward the surrounding society. Here, relationships, social structures, and context are central to understanding why crime emerges. The focus is on how upbringing, group belonging, power, and social conditions affect people.
These theories assume that the individual is formed through interaction with others. People are part of families, friendship groups, schools, workplaces, and local communities, and are influenced by the norms and values that dominate there.
Economic and social conditions
Research shows clear statistical relationships between social and economic factors and crime. More crime is often committed in poorer areas, and crime levels are frequently higher where inequality is great. This does not mean poverty automatically leads to crime, only that risk may increase at the group level.
Family and upbringing
The family is one of the most important environments for child development. Children who grow up in unstable family conditions may face a somewhat higher risk of ending up in crime, especially when separations are followed by long-lasting conflict or a lack of present adults.
What matters most is often not the separation itself, but the broader life situation surrounding the child. Safety, stable relationships, and access to adult role models function as important protective factors.
School and belief in the future
School plays a major role in young people's life choices and future opportunities. Young people who feel their chances are limited, for example because of weak academic results or a lack of opportunities, run a greater risk of turning to criminal environments.
School can therefore function as both a risk and a protective factor. When students succeed in school and can imagine a future in education or work, the risk of criminality decreases.
Residential areas and segregation
In disadvantaged neighborhoods, where low income, unemployment, and weak labor market attachment are more common, several social problems may become concentrated at the same time. Segregation means that groups in society live apart from one another and gain unequal access to resources such as education, employment, and social networks.
The chart shows that the share outside employment remains clearly higher in disadvantaged areas throughout 2010-2018.
- Disadvantaged areas
- Rest of the country
- Other urban areas
Share not employed (%)
Source: SNS, The significance of residential areas for crime and children's opportunities, figure p. 24
Values are reconstructed by close reading of the published figure and may differ marginally from the original dataset.
Show chart data as a table
| Year | Disadvantaged areas | Rest of the country | Other urban areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 44 | 28.6 | 26.4 |
| 2011 | 42.4 | 27.8 | 25.8 |
| 2012 | 42.5 | 28.8 | 26.4 |
| 2013 | 42.4 | 28.9 | 26.3 |
| 2014 | 41.6 | 28.7 | 25.9 |
| 2015 | 40 | 28.5 | 25.4 |
| 2016 | 38.6 | 28.3 | 25 |
| 2017 | 37.6 | 27.6 | 24.4 |
| 2018 | 35.3 | 26.9 | 23.9 |
Median incomes rise over time in all settings, but the gap between disadvantaged areas and other areas remains substantial.
- Disadvantaged areas
- Rest of the country
- Other urban areas
Median income (SEK thousands)
Source: SNS, The significance of residential areas for crime and children's opportunities, figure p. 26
Values are reconstructed by close reading of the published figure and may differ marginally from the original dataset.
Show chart data as a table
| Year | Disadvantaged areas | Rest of the country | Other urban areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 39 | 148 | 180 |
| 2011 | 48 | 162 | 190 |
| 2012 | 45 | 160 | 191 |
| 2013 | 46 | 161 | 197 |
| 2014 | 50 | 168 | 205 |
| 2015 | 58 | 176 | 214 |
| 2016 | 68 | 185 | 226 |
| 2017 | 79 | 195 | 237 |
| 2018 | 95 | 206 | 249 |
In such environments, marginalization may emerge. Long-term marginalization can contribute to exclusion and reduced trust in society. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that far from everyone who grows up in disadvantaged areas commits crime.
Social theories explain crime best when the focus is on life conditions, relationships, and opportunities, not on simplified ideas about "crime-prone areas."
Sources: Granhag, P. A., Stromwall, L. A., Ask, K. & Landstrom, S. (2021). Handbook of Forensic Psychology. Liber. Forskning.se and the SNS report The significance of residential areas for crime and children's opportunities as cited in the source material.
