{"id":37970,"date":"2025-12-08T14:05:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T13:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/artiklar\/a-blind-spot-brings-young-girls-involved-in-gang-crime-into-focus\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T11:20:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T10:20:31","slug":"en-blind-flack-synliggor-unga-tjejer-i-gangkriminalitet","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/artiklar\/en-blind-flack-synliggor-unga-tjejer-i-gangkriminalitet\/","title":{"rendered":"A Blind Spot brings young girls involved in gang crime into focus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AnnaDanielsson-CarolineNilsson&#x2013;SofiaOmar-AnneliSundgren-AnnaBystrom-NamamFaraj.jpg\" alt=\"A group of women standing next to each other.\" class=\"wp-image-36810\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"lead-text\">Social services in Gothenburg had been observing girls involved with crime for a number of years, but nobody knew how to reach them. The Blind spot (En blind fl\u00e4ck) project has changed that \u2013 and the results speak for themselves. <\/p>\n\n<p>Anna Danielsson, SSPF coordinator (School\u2013Social Services\u2013Police\u2013Leisure) at UngNordost, part of Social Administration Nordost in Gothenburg, describes the problem that had been causing concerns for a long time.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019d seen the girls over the years, we just didn\u2019t know how to reach out to them. What problems are they facing? To what extent are they involved in crime? How vulnerable are they?\u201d   <\/p>\n\n<p>To try to resolve the issue, the Social Administration in Gothenburg launched the \u201cBlind spot\u201d project with the support of the European Social Fund.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Watch the video about the \u201cBlind Spot\u201d project<\/h2>\n\n<div style=\"background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #ccc;margin:0 auto;width:100%;\"><div style=\"position:relative;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display:block;height:auto;width:100%\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/im16.inviewer.se\/skiss\/79\/79PEH7552U.jpg\"\/><iframe title=\"ESF_Blind_fl\u00e4ck_final\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;\" src=\"\/\/play.mediaflow.com\/ovp\/16\/79PEH7552U?theme=\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Collaboration as a tool<\/h2>\n\n<p>The unique thing about \u201cA Blind Spot\u201d isn\u2019t just that the project brings girls into focus \u2013 but how it manages that. Bringing together social services, the police and midwives with specialist expertise in sexual violence and allowing them to talk to one another has enabled a model to emerge where different experts complement one another in ways that simply weren\u2019t possible before. <\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWe realised we couldn\u2019t do this on our own. Social services, the police and healthcare services need to work together to identify the girls and adapt our approach,\u201d explains Anna Danielsson. <\/p>\n\n<p>Each stakeholder brings a unique perspective to the table: the police encounter the girls in the context of crime, social services are able to offer long-term support and interventions, and midwives are able to offer trauma-informed care and support in cases of sexual vulnerability. Together, they create a comprehensive picture that no one authority can create alone. <\/p>\n<div class=\"infobox\" style=\"background-color: #bfdde3;\">\n      <h2 class=\"infobox-title\">Project outcomes<\/h2>\n  \n      <div class=\"infobox-text\"><p><strong>From invisibility to collaboration:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Number of consents from girls over 18: 12<\/li>\n<li>Number of consents from girls under 18: 13<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>A change of perspective:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>More reports of concern from the police thanks to knowledge exchange<\/li>\n<li>Schools identify threats and violence against girls and take them seriously<\/li>\n<li>Greater awareness of \u201cblind spots\u201d at social services reception centres<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Unique collaboration:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Systematic cooperation between social services, the police and healthcare services<\/li>\n<li>Flexible meeting places: interview rooms, cars, caf\u00e9s, detention centres<\/li>\n<li>Focus on sexual health and vulnerability as part of the support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n  \n  <\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Invisible in a different way<\/h2>\n\n<p>Caroline Eriksson, a community police officer, describes how the collaboration has altered the work of the police.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWhen we stop a car or carry out a raid, we now see the girls in a different light to the way we used to see them. This might also lead to different measures being taken against the girls, as we realise they may also be part of gang crime. But we also know they themselves might be victims of crime. Our aim is to file far more reports of concern in relation to these girls than we do at the moment, so that they can get the right help to escape the situation they\u2019re in.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n<p>When the authorities began working together systematically, a picture emerged that was both clearer and more complex than anyone expected. The girls were there; they had agency, they were involved in crime \u2013 but their movements weren\u2019t the same as the boys\u2019. <\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cThe lads stick with their gangs in their local areas. The girls are less fixed in place and move across geographical areas \u2013 they\u2019re invisible in different ways to lads,\u201d explains Anna Danielsson. <\/p>\n\n<p>This mobility made them harder to detect, but also more vulnerable.<\/p>\n<div class=\"block-image\">\n          <div class=\"block-image-background is-large\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blind_flack-10-e1765196198172.jpg)\"><\/div>\n              <q class=\"block-image-title\">det handlar om att bygga tillit och skapa en trygg plats dit tjejerna faktiskt vill komma<\/q>\n      <\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sexual vulnerability \u2013 the hidden dimension<\/h2>\n\n<p>One of the project\u2019s most striking insights is the link between crime and sexual vulnerability. Most of the girls who turn up have been sexually abused. Collaboration with midwives has become a crucial piece of the puzzle in this respect. Anneli Sundgren is a midwife who\u2019s also trained in psychotherapy and trauma. She works at the MS\u00d6 Pilen reception centre for victims of sexual violence where \u201cA Blind Spot\u201d participants. Explanation: A natural person who benefits directly from a project without being responsible for initiating or both initiating and implementing the initiative. over the age of 13 turn up to talk about their mental and physical health.   <br\/><br\/>\u201cWe can offer counselling and talk about sexual experiences, vulnerability, sexuality, the body and health. The girls can also get help with tests and contraception. We don\u2019t just offer medical support, though. It\u2019s about building trust and creating a safe place that girls actually want to come to. And when I\u2019m part of the team, we can share knowledge and pick up signals that would otherwise be missed.\u201d   <br\/><br\/>The presence of the midwife has opened doors to the girls\u2019 experiences of violence and vulnerability that were previously closed. When one girl was being held on remand, the midwife was able to visit her there during the critical period when she was most in need of support. It\u2019s this kind of flexibility and cohesion between authorities that makes \u201cA Blind Spot\u201d so unique. A clear part of the issue surrounding the vulnerability of girls in these environments is that many of them have been subjected to sexual abuse early on in life and develop self-harming behaviour linked to this.   <br\/><br\/>\u201cSelf-harming behaviour is a reaction to having experienced some truly terrible things that cause severe anxiety, which people may try to alleviate by using drugs, self-harming or seeking reassurance from people where there\u2019s a high risk of them being abused again,\u201d says midwife Anneli Sundgren.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-grid\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blind_flack-13.jpg\" alt=\"\">\n\n  \n  <div class=\"image-grid-row\">\n    <div class=\"image-grid-left\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blind_flack-4.jpg\" alt=\"\">\n\n          <\/div>\n    <div class=\"image-grid-sidebar\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Still_2025-10-22_155122_1.15.1-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\">\n\n          <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Questions that need to be asked<\/h2>\n\n<p>The project has involved methodological work in which both SSPF (School\u2013Social Services\u2013Police\u2013Leisure) and SIG (Social Action Group) have opened up to include a perspective focused on girls. New questions are asked systematically: about sexual vulnerability, about who the girls spend time with, about their friends. <br\/><br\/>\u201cWe ask about sexuality, the body and health, regardless of whether they\u2019ve been abused. It\u2019s all part of understanding their situation,\u201d says Anna Danielsson. <br\/><br\/>This continuous exchange of knowledge between the police, social services and midwives has improved the ability of all stakeholders to ask the right questions and spot the warning signs earlier. Flexibility has been crucial. These conversations don\u2019t just take place in interview rooms, but in cars, in caf\u00e9s, in detention centres \u2013 wherever the girls happen to be.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Significant increase in girls<\/h2>\n\n<p>The figures show a clear change. Before the project began, the number of girls over 18 who\u2019d signed consent forms with social services was zero. Today, twelve of them have done so. No fewer than 25 girls aged between 12 and 26 have signed consent forms and are now receiving support through the project. However, the number of girls they\u2019ve managed to reach out to and who could potentially take part in the project is close to 50.    <br\/><br\/>\u201cWe know that when we plant a seed of change, it can take a long time before people actually seek out and accept the help available to take a different path in life,\u201d says coordinator Anna Danielsson.<\/p>\n\n<p>The change can\u2019t just be seen from the statistics, either. The police are now submitting more reports of concern thanks to the systematic exchange of knowledge between authorities. Schools have also changed their approach \u2013 they now take threats and violence involving girls seriously, rather than dismissing them as \u201cplay fighting\u201d, while violence among boys is classified as assault.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Digital threats and future challenges<\/h2>\n\n<p>The project has also brought new challenges to light. Digital platforms are used for recruitment, grooming and fast cash. <\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cEven when we succeed in bringing in girls and building trust, our work is made so much harder by the constant presence of mobile phones. Many girls who are placed in care run away because they can constantly be contacted on digital platforms. There\u2019s such a lot of reactive behaviour,\u201d says Anna Danielsson.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The way forward<\/h2>\n\n<p>The project\u2019s research findings will be presented at the end of November. The team is already working to identify new calls for proposals and create a version 2.0 of the project. <\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re working really hard on building trust,\u201d summarises Anna Danielsson. \u201cWhen we\u2019ve got the results from our two years of effort and combined them with the research findings, we\u2019ll be able to present a collaborative model that works \u2013 and that others can learn from.\u201d <\/p>\n\n<p>Anna Bystr\u00f6m, who\u2019s in charge of the project, sees potential in distributing the model to others.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cThis collaborative model really works. We\u2019ve proven that when we work together across organisational boundaries, with the right expertise and a genuine focus on girls, we can reach out to girls who were previously invisible in the system.\u201d <\/p>\n\n<p>Not only has the \u201cA Blind Spot\u201d project has brought the role of girls in gang crime into focus; it\u2019s also shown that change can definitely happen when social services, the police and healthcare services really work together \u2013 with the right expertise, mutual exchange of knowledge and a genuine focus on girls. <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" data-id=\"36828\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blind_flack-20-768x512.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36828\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caroline Eriksson, community police officer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" data-id=\"36826\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blind_flack-11-768x512.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36826\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anneli Sundgren, midwife<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" data-id=\"36824\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blind_flack-23-768x512.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36824\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Danielsson, SSPF coordinator<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"infobox\" style=\"background-color: #f0e2d1;\">\n      <h2 class=\"infobox-title\">\u201cA Blind Spot\u201d in brief<\/h2>\n  \n      <div class=\"infobox-text\"><ul>\n<li>The \u201cA Blind Spot\u201d project involves identifying and reaching out to young girls who are involved in gang crime, or at high risk of being drawn into gang crime.<\/li>\n<li>The project, which brings together social services, the police and midwives with specialist expertise in sexual violence and allowing them to talk to one another has devised a clear model in which different experts complement one another in ways that simply weren\u2019t possible before.<\/li>\n<li>Project period: 2023\u20132026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n  \n            \n              <a class=\"arrow-link \"\n         title=\"View information about the project in Projektbanken\"          href=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/resultat\/projektbanken\/projekt\/?dnr=23-026-S15\"\n         target=\"_blank\">\n                <div class=\"arrow\">\n                      <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"18\" height=\"14\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 14\">\n              <g 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Danielsson, SSPF coordinator (School\u2013Social Services\u2013Police\u2013Leisure) at UngNordost, part of Social Administration Nordost in Gothenburg, describes the problem that had been causing concerns for a long time. \u201cWe\u2019d seen the girls over the years, we just didn\u2019t know how to reach out to them. What problems are they facing? To what extent are they involved &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":36811,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_helpful_pro_status":1,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[313],"class_list":["post-37970","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-en-plats-for-alla"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/37970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}