Rissa Seidou likens recruitment to gangs to other extremist groups, such as Nazis. She believes that the young people who seek out the environments often feel seen and that they can "become someone".
"It can be any child, ordinary schoolchildren who are 13 years old," she says.
Seidou believes that recruitment often takes place in secret, via social media and outside the school.
"That you get there and you offer some kid that they can get a soda. Says that "You're good, you're good". And that they can borrow a cap from a gang member – because you want to wear these designer clothes and show off at school.
"Strong appeal"
Diamant Salihu, crime reporter at SVT, also believes that the status attracts.
"One should not forget that there is a strong attraction in this environment. There is a form of gangster culture that attracts.
Previously, there was mainly talk about children who come from vulnerable areas being drawn into gangs, but a shift has begun to take place, says Diamant Salihu.
"I get signals from the police and social workers that more middle-class children, who may have more stable home conditions, are still seeking this environment.
Want to take contract murder
Mats Lindström, head of investigations at the Stockholm police region, believes that there is often also a willingness among many young people to take on contract killings. The police see in chats how they themselves request assignments from criminals higher up in the networks.
"Another way is to have a local network that wants to carry out a murder, where they ask around among their younger guys if anyone wants to drive.
Sweden is a relatively small country, which means that some people from different parts of the country within the networks get in touch because they have been in the same Sis or HVB home. It allows them to pick up someone from another city to carry out a murder.
Mats Lindström also sees status as a driving force:
– "Having the aura of being a murderer", as one person said in an investigation I was part of.