New programme strengthens municipalities’ crime prevention efforts

How can an understanding of the causes of crime be applied in the day-to-day work of social services? This is the starting point for a new commissioned training programme at the University of Gävle. Currently, 45 staff members from Gävle Municipality’s social services department are taking the course.

The course ‘Criminology for Social Services – the causes of crime and preventive methods’ is worth five higher education credits and is aimed at professionals working in social services.

– Many people in social services are already working on crime prevention, but from different perspectives and in different roles. “We want to provide participants with a shared theoretical foundation whilst linking research to the situations they encounter in their work,” says Jerzy Sarnecki, Professor of Criminology and one of the course lecturers.

From theory to practice

The course covers, amongst other things, criminological theories on the causes of crime, how crime is measured, and various forms of crime prevention. One of the objectives is for participants to be able to draw up a local plan for crime prevention measures and follow-up.

Participants meet on eight occasions at the University of Gävle for lectures and seminars. Tutors from both criminology and social work are involved.

– “We can contribute theory and research on what influences crime and what we know about preventative measures. The participants, in turn, have knowledge of day-to-day practice in social services. That combination is important,” says Jerzy Sarnecki.

A shared knowledge base

This is the first time that the University of Gävle has offered this programme. A key aspect is bringing together staff in different roles around a shared knowledge base.

– A commissioned training programme becomes particularly interesting when it can be closely linked to the needs of the organisation. Here, we combine expertise in criminology and social work with the participants’ own experiences, says Erik Häggström, head of department at the University of Gävle.

He sees the programme as an example of how the University’s expertise can meet specific needs in the public sector.

– “We believe that these kinds of issues are relevant in many organisations. That is why it is valuable to be able to develop courses in collaboration with those who deal with these issues in practice,” says Erik Häggström.

The course is assessed through an individual written assignment and is worth five higher education credits. The eight sessions at the University of Gävle are compulsory, as an important part of the course is the dialogue between participants and the exchange of experiences between different parts of the social services sector.