Policy brief based on the Nordic scoping study on the links between youth criminal exploitation and trafficking

Drawing on academic research, official reports, media sources, and Nordic consultations with criminal justice practitioners, the scoping study highlights growing concerns about youth involvement in gang-related crime, with particular attention to Sweden as a reference point for the Nordic regional debate. The analysis emphasises the complexity of identifying situations where children involved in crime may actually be victims of exploitation and/or trafficking, which requires a nuanced understanding of vulnerability, exploitation and the coercive mechanisms at play.