Rising Calls to Bris Highlight Urgent Need for Long-Term Support for Youth Escaping Gang Crime

Bris, the Swedish organization dedicated to children’s rights, has reported a significant increase in calls from children seeking help to leave gang-related criminal environments in 2025. The number of calls about gang crime has surged from 260 in 2023 to 441 in 2024, with 354 calls recorded by November 2025 alone.

Most callers are youth aged 16 to 18, many of whom have been involved in gang crime for extended periods. They commonly express feelings of fear, panic, and entrapment, highlighting the desperate circumstances they face. According to Marie Angsell, a social expert at Bris, these children often report that existing support services fail to adequately address their complex needs, which may include drug abuse issues or threats to their safety.

Bris stresses that short-term interventions are insufficient and can leave these young people without ongoing support once immediate aid ends. The organization advocates for more preventive and sustained measures, urging the Swedish government to thoroughly investigate current efforts and improve collaboration across social services to provide meaningful, long-term help.

The importance of timely outreach is also emphasized, as many youths reach out during late hours when their motivation to change is highest. With over 64,000 total contacts in 2024, the calls related to gang involvement underline a pressing social challenge that requires continued attention and enhanced preventive strategies.

Bris’s findings provide new insights into the struggles faced by vulnerable children caught in gang environments and highlight the urgent need for reforms to better support their transition away from crime and towards safety and stability.