"I think it’s important to show each other respect when we play football. That’s why I asked if I could make a film about how we should behave on the pitch – and I was allowed to. “The reason I wanted to do it was because many people react by getting really angry about the tiniest thing when they play football. I wanted to show them that this is wrong – and that we should be nice to each other."
ABDUL,
CLASS 7B, IES BORÅS
Of the 17 areas in Sweden that the police have ranked as especially vulnerable, in other words, areas of low socio-economic standing where local communities are affected by criminal activities, two can be found in Borås. Given that Borås only contains one per cent of the population of Sweden, this is a dismal figure. Two rival gangs involved in drug-dealing are battling out a conflict that has made shootings a normal occurrence and has made residents fearful.
IES Borås is located right on the border between these two vulnerable areas. Today, the grand, yellow, brick building with its rich history of raising generations of school children accommodates 498 students from year four to year nine, with origins from 52 countries. Most of the children live in the vulnerable local neighbourhood where two fatal shootings have recently taken place. Since gang crime is so prevalent, over the past few years IES Borås, just like other IES schools, has prioritised initiatives to prevent children being recruited by the gangs.
“Safety for their children is one of the absolute strongest reasons for parents in Borås choosing our school,” says Ms Molin. “They know that we pay attention to the signs and that we deal with the problem immediately if we become suspicious,” she continues.
More girls at risk
The gangs constantly develop new and refined methods for approaching the children. Further-more, in Borås they are increasingly targeting girls and even younger children.
“The children are often groomed over a longer period – perhaps as early as year five – with expensive gifts and money transferred electronically using a service called Swish. They are then contacted, usually via Snapchat where messages disappear quickly, with demands for services in return. Boys are often contacted via the chat program Discord, which is used for gaming,” explains the assistant principal, Scott Gates.
“Once it has gone that far it is hard for them to get out of it. A culture of silence often develops, when neither the children nor the parents dare to say anything for fear of reprisals,” he continues.
Relationships and interests
The school works on multiple levels to prevent the children being pulled into the gangs, with initiatives run by internal and external groups. One example of the latter is classroom visits from the local police who talk about gang violence, or else simply park in the playground to show their presence in the school. Creating a safe environment is fundamental, where adults are always present, and every individual feels they are seen. It also requires creating a culture where knowledge is valued, respect for fellow human beings is a given and good job opportunities are felt to be more attractive than a life in crime, according to Ms Molin.
“Our students are never left alone during the school day without an adult nearby to whom they can turn – and who can also pay attention to what is going on. It involves creating a safe relationship with the children so that they dare to tell us. It’s also important that gang criminality does not become a sensitive topic that nobody dares to talk about. We also talk about what victimisation is early on, and that it is not accepted,” she says.
One way to prevent recruitment is by creating new interests for the children. Over the past few years, IES Borås has put efforts into getting the children to try out anything from climbing to padel tennis, with a teacher regularly taking students out with them for a run after school. The school offers team sports such as football and rugby, where there is a focus on building a team spirit, and it has also built a small but well-equipped gym for the students.
“It’s a very good opportunity to build relationships with the children and to get them interested in different activities where they have an outlet for their energy and meet friends who are good for them,” says Mr Gates.
Parents have an important role
An important component of the prevention work is that parents also get involved in efforts to counter gang recruitment. Parents in the area take the issue seriously, as can be seen by the large number who attend the regular information meetings.
“It is important that the parents are not only aware of what’s happening and pay attention to the signs, but that they also have confidence in us and can talk to us about sensitive issues. Our student-health team fulfils an important function in this regard,” says Ms Molin.
“If we discover that a child might be in the danger zone, we start by talking to both the child and their parents. We then have to decide whether it’s necessary to contact the authorities. But it’s also important to understand that the school cannot solve this issue by itself,” she adds.
The school’s successes are proof that the great amount of passion and energy from Ms Molin, along with Mr Gates and other colleagues, pays off. For example, in the most recent annual survey of teachers, students and parents, IES Borås was one of the top-performing IES schools in the country in terms of student, parent and staff satisfaction.
“I love my school, and I think that feeling is shared by most of our colleagues here,” says Ms Molin.
IES BORÅS - Numbers as per September 2024.
498 Students
91% of parents had confidence in the school leadership
59% students with origins outside Sweden
87% students qualified for upper secondary school
77% students achieved the knowledge targets in all subjects