Visibility and vulnerability: A mixed methodology approach to studying Roma individuals’ victimization experiences
| Published date | 01 September 2020 |
| Author | Berit Wigerfelt,Caroline Mellgren,Anders Wigerfelt,Simon Wallengren |
| Date | 01 September 2020 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0269758019885676 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Visibility and vulnerability:
A mixed methodology
approach to studying
Roma individuals’
victimization experiences
Simon Wallengren, Anders Wigerfelt,
Berit Wigerfelt and Caroline Mellgren
Malmo University, Sweden
Abstract
The present study examines the prevalence and impact of victimization among a sample of Roma
individuals in Malmo
¨and Gothenburg (Sweden). The aim of the study was to examine the link
between visibility and victimization, and whether the Roma community employs behavioural
strategies to reduce visibility, and, finally, to analyse how such strategies affect the group. The study
design combines survey data (n¼610) with interviews (n¼30). The findings suggest that visibility is
an important risk factor for victimization and that the study participants’ attempt to conceal their
ethnicity affects them negatively both at an individual and a community level. The discussion
concludes by presenting a number of policy implications.
Keywords
Bias crime, Roma, stigma, victimization, visibility
Introduction
This study describes the prevalence of victimization and its impact among a sample of the Roma
minority in a Swedish context. In this study, the term ‘Roma’ is used as an umbrella term and refers
to many ethnic minority groups that share a nomadic history, including the Roma, Travellers (in
Swedish: Resandefolket), and others. It is estimated that there are up to 12 million Roma living in
Europe and about 50,000 Roma living in Sweden (SOU, 2010: 55). Although this group cannot be
Corresponding author:
Dr Simon Wallengren, Malmo
¨universitet, 205 06 Malmo, Sweden.
Email: simon.wallengren@mau.se
International Review of Victimology
2020, Vol. 26(3) 276–294
ªThe Author(s) 2019
Article reuse guidelines:
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DOI: 10.1177/0269758019885676
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defined as a single homogenous group, they face a number of shared challenges including exposure
to discrimination and victimization.
In Sweden, the Roma have been subject to severa l officially recog nized human rights vi ola-
tions during different ages (Westin et al., 2014). Furthermore, researchers have noted that the
Roma constitute a vulnerable group in relation to victimization (Hall et al., 2014). Swedish
official statistics estimate the number of anti-Roma-motivated hate crimes (or bias crimes)
reported to the police in the year 2018 as approximately 160 cases, which is the lowest number
of reported anti-Roma crimes since crimes with an anti-Roma motive started being registered
as separate offences in the year 2008 (National Council for Crime Prevention [BRA
˚], 2018).
However, these official statistics are associated with several problems. There is a consensus
among researchers with a focus on bias victimization that a significant amount of criminal
activity is not officially recorded. In general, the Roma have a low propensity to report crimes
to the police (Wallengren and Mellgren, 2018). It should also be noted that, in Sweden, there
are no official data regarding the Roma community’s exposure to non-bias crimes, which
makes it difficult to get a clear picture of the group’s victimization experiences. Few self-
report studies concerning the Roma community’s victimization experiences have been con-
ducted. According to one study by Wallengren and Mellgren (2015a), of a sample of 121 Roma
living in the Gothenburg region of Sweden, 46%of the respondents reported having experi-
enced at least one type of victimization during the last 12 months and one-fifth of the respon-
dents had experienced anti-Roma-motivated victimization. As many as 84%stated that they
had been the victims of an anti-Roma-motivated crime at some point during their lifetime. The
study also found a tendency towards a higher degree of victimization a mong those respondents
who were open about their ethnicity.
Even though researching a vulnerable population like the Roma presents numerous methodo-
logical challenges, there are many reasons for analysing the group’s victimization experiences.
Firstly, the gathering of victimization data is essential in determining the extent of a group’s social
problems and for the development of prevention strategies. Secondly, the vulnerable populations
themselves may use such data to increase their empowerment, to point out their difficulties, and for
lobbying, so that politicians (and others) are forced to acknowledge their experiences. Lastly, it is
also possible that the research production in itself has a positive effect on the relationship between
the majority society and the population. As often highlighted, the crimes that these vulnerable
populations suffer are frequently perceived as a ‘message’– implying that the vulnerable popula-
tions are not full members of society and should ‘know their place’ (Perry, 2001). By producing
research that highlights vulnerable populations’ suffering, society offers a counter message. It
sends a signal that the specific group’s voices are of importance and that the group should be
acknowledged as well as helped and protected.
The present study will contribute to this larg ely underexplore d research field by re porting the
victimization experiences of individuals who belong to the Roma minority in Malmo¨and
Gothenburg, two of Sweden’s largest cities. A questionnaire was distributed and in-depth
interviews were conducted to examine how visibility, i.e. the perception of the minority as
being different from mainstream society, is related to victimization. In particular, we want to
(a) investigate how visibility is related to the risk of victimization; (b) investigate whether
study participants employ behavioural strategies to conceal group belonging as a means of
reducing their victimization risk; and, finally, (c) analyse how these behavioural strategies
affect the group.
Wallengren et al. 277
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