Doing masculinity in narratives about reporting violent crime: young male victims talk about contacting and encountering the police

Abstract

Reporting criminal victimization to the police is no obvious act. The decision to file a complaint varies depending on the specific situation. This article discusses 10 young Swedish men's narratives about contacting the police when mugged or assaulted. Although all of them have contacted the police it has not been self-obvious. Rather, they present reasons for not filing a complaint. However, after persuasion and careful consideration they decided that contacting the police is ‘the right thing to do’. This article discusses how the young men by use of their narratives about reporting crime present identities where victim worthiness is balanced against hegemonic masculinity norms.