Torbjörn Forkby is a professor of social work and, since he is also a qualified social worker, he has extensive experience in practical social work. As early as 2006, he initiated a study on crime prevention related to gang crime, which he has followed up with several others since.
The latest one – a collaboration with the University of Gothenburg, which will study gang use of firearms – is just starting. Torbjörn explains that what interests him most are the factors causing the emergence of gangs.
Torbjörn Forkby
Torbjörn Forkby
Torbjörn Forkby is a professor of social work with a focus on children, young people, and families. With a background as a qualified social worker, he has extensive experience in practical social work and has directed his research towards preventive work for children and young people. Torbjörn has also studied crime prevention with a focus on gang crime, exit processes, and the use of weapons in gang conflicts.
Funds awarded since 2018:
SEK 24.3 million; funder: Forte
SEK 5 million; funder: the Kamprad Family Foundation for Entrepreneurship, Research & Charity.
– We’re going to investigate what lies behind the use of firearms to handle conflicts in the gang environment”, says Torbjörn. “I’ve never been super interested in gangs themselves. For me, it’s more about what has happened to society that makes gangs so attractive to young people. It's a manifestation of a changing society.
Grounded in basic needs
In his research on gangs, Torbjörn has studied everything from the dreams and hopes of young people who join gangs, to the sometimes harsh reality that gang life entails, and what factors tend to prompt the desire to leave.
Belonging to something, being good enough, and being able to contribute to something are fundamental existential needs that most people have; it’s not unique to young people who’ve gone off the rails.
For many young people, gang affiliation is about something as simple as the hope of becoming someone – a desire to succeed in life, and finding a community that never lets them down.
– Many who end up in gangs have a lot of shortcomings in their past”, Torbjörn explains. “They've never been seen as people who will succeed in life; rather, they carry difficulties and failures with them to a much greater extent than others. For them, the gang offers a second chance to succeed at something – a compensation for failures in other areas.
Torbjörn describes gang crime as a major social problem today.
– In some residential areas, gangs have become a significant presence, something that reduces and restricts the safety and security of the residents. In many cases, it’s a matter of only a small number of people though, who have gained their power through a capacity for violence and a reputation for dominance and success”, says Torbjörn, and continues: “The survival of gangs depends on keeping the myths of success alive, and society’s task is to show that these myths are, in most cases, illusions. It’s about combining efforts directed against the gangs with efforts that strengthen positive forces in the local community. So, it’s not just about reducing the influence of gangs, but also about empowering and organising the many more positive resources that can serve as a counterforce and provide sustainable role models.
Connected Children – for the future
While preventive measures in maternal care and preschool and gang crime and shootings may seem far apart, Torbjörn sees a clear connection and is now directing his research efforts towards young children. The research programme Connected Children aims to develop early and coordinated interventions for children and young people in difficult life situations and to strengthen positive initiatives for children and young people on a broad scale.
– The hope is that one branch of my research will be strengthened at the expense of the other, and we know that it’s important to address challenges early in a child’s life.
Connected Children, which involves research-supported developmental work at four locations in Sweden, draws its inspiration from the Scottish model GIRFEC (Getting It Right For Every Child).
The programme aims to catch those in need of extra support at an early stage and to help coordinate efforts between different actors.
Where we previously had a relationship between parents and children through reading, we now tend to see a relationship between the child and a screen instead.
– Sometimes you hear we saw that already in preschool” Torbjörn says. “And yes, in some cases this is possible, but it’s also very easy to overestimate the ability to predict children’s development. Children develop in different ways, and it’s all about identifying support needs early on, based on a holistic perspective, and offering interventions that are perceived as positive by individuals.
The goal of Connected Children is to provide support in a context that is felt to be ordinary, without parents or children having to feel singled out.
– In most cases, we are already good at identifying children who have difficulties concentrating, reading, and counting; who have problems with aggression; or who don’t know how to function in different contexts”, says Torbjörn. “The challenge is to develop interventions that enhance their ability to function in their ordinary context and to find a model for effective collaboration between these children’s homes and professionals from different fields. If we lose a child at an early stage, the risk increases that exclusionary measures will be the only options. We mustn’t forget that all such special solutions are high-risk interventions; although they may be necessary and helpful for some, there is always the risk that, contrary to the intention, they will increase the feeling of not quite living up to the expectations and being able to function.
The significance of stories for our children
When discussing different support interventions, it is easy to focus on advanced and costly treatment models, but according to Torbjörn, the foundation is laid much earlier, in the child’s close and trusting relationships. These can be strengthened through something as simple as reading stories to our children.
It is easy to think that preventive work means large-scale interventions, often borrowed from other countries, but there is a lot of important work that can be done without any major effort. One example that Torbjörn is happy to talk about is that parents should be encouraged to read bedtime stories to their children, since this is something that has declined drastically in recent years.
– We have lost what I believe has built much of the foundation for public health. Where we previously had a relationship between parents and children through reading, we now tend to see a relationship between the child and a screen instead. Reading stories not only builds language and imagination; it also provides a moment to come together, discuss the day, and reconnect”, he says and continues:
– Language is crucial for learning to reflect on one’s own self, and also for being able to communicate and getting to know both oneself, others and the world. Language as a tool makes so much possible, both in school and in other contexts. It affects our sense of belonging and how we are perceived, and I believe there’s a lot that can be done in this area.
Knowledge as a path to change
For Torbjörn, the research is about highlighting the bigger picture and providing an understanding of how complex working with change processes can actually be. At the root of many of the problems facing society is an increasing divide between different groups in society, in terms of economic and educational aspects as well as in terms of other important resources, such as networks and social role models. Preventive work involves thinking in terms of context and sustainability, and mobilising people’s positive engagement.
– Belonging to something, being good enough, and being able to contribute to something are fundamental existential needs that most people have; it’s not unique to young people who’ve gone off the rails. To address this, we need to strengthen young people’s ability to function in and benefit from ordinary contexts, and that work starts early.
Aiming for knowledge-building activities
Setting a single goal for this type of research is not easy, but Torbjörn hopes to contribute a voice from social work, offering some form of reflection and knowledge.
–It tends to be criminologists who comment on gang issues, but a variety of voices are needed. I think it’s important to include social work and highlight issues that are closer to the individual. Social work often revolves around quite complex issues, and I want to provide an understanding of the multifaceted nature of social work.
But Torbjörn also sees problems with how resources are prioritised today, arguing that a significant portion is spent on administration and bureaucratic reviews, while relatively little goes towards actually engaging people in the development process. He hopes to contribute to reducing social work bureaucracy in more ways.
– I’m probably more of a reformist than a revolutionary”, says Torbjörn. “My goal has always been to expand the knowledge base, and I try to contribute as much as I can. It would be fantastic if it were just as natural for social services, schools, and the police to see themselves as knowledge-building entities.
The issues that need addressing can’t always be solved with administrative measures; we need to ask questions. The challenges we face have no simple solution, and that’s why research and practice must go hand in hand.”