Purpose: This paper sought to bring together police science and sport-for-development (SFD) with a scoping review of the empirical literature on at-risk youth and police relationship-building in the context of sport interventions.

Design/methodology/approach: We conducted a scoping review with a Setting, Perspective, Intervention, Comparison and Evaluation (SPICE) model to systematically examine existing studies on the involvement of police in sports-based youth development programs. A total of 1,247 records were identified, and ten empirical research studies were included in the review.

Findings: The review identifies the critical role of stakeholders, especially coaches and community leaders, in facilitating police-youth contact. Coaches often serve as boundary-spanners, building trust between police officers and at-risk youth. Police involvement in these programs is multifaceted, with officers participating as teammates, leaders or mentors. This participation helps dismantle barriers and foster positive relationships but shows that different roles are associated with different benefits and risk factors. Relatedly, the review highlights potential risks such as the hyper-criminalization of youth, emphasizing the need for program designs that promote equality and collaboration.

Originality/value: This paper provides the first significant steps toward conceptualizing the role of police within sport interventions by integrating community policing and SFD literature. We advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration between police science and SFD scholars to further develop police-youth relationships.

Crime scene examiners (CSEs) play a crucial yet understudied role in law enforcement, frequently exposed to traumatic material under demanding organizational conditions. While the psychological health of frontline police has been extensively investigated, little is known about the mental wellbeing of those working in forensic and crime scene units. This scoping review systematically maps the existing international literature on CSEs' mental health to identify key themes, knowledge gaps, and implications for practice. Following Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, seven databases were searched, yielding 24 studies published between 2005 and 2025. The findings reveal that CSEs experience a distinct constellation of occupational stressors, including cumulative trauma exposure, organizational strain, and professional invisibility. Five overarching themes emerged: (1) occupational exposure to trauma and post-traumatic stress; (2) stress, anxiety, and related psychological outcomes; (3) lack of institutional and organizational support; (4) low forensic awareness and diminished role recognition; and (5) protective factors such as resilience, peer support, and humor. Despite recurrent exposure to death, violence, and emotionally charged scenes, many CSEs demonstrate adaptive coping and resilience, though often without formal support structures. The review highlights systemic deficiencies in leadership, debriefing, and psychological monitoring, which exacerbate mental health risks and may impair decision-making quality. Addressing the invisibility of forensic policing through trauma-informed leadership, structured mental health interventions, and enhanced forensic awareness is critical both for workforce sustainability and the reliability of justice processes.

Martial arts are increasingly promoted as interventions for youth in high-risk, socioeconomically marginalized areas. While existing literature has focused on psychological outcomes such as self-regulation, or sociological themes like identity transformation, few studies have examined the micro-social mechanisms through which martial arts may prevent criminal involvement. Drawing on 52 qualitative interviews with coaches and young practitioners across Swedish martial arts clubs located in so-called "vulnerable areas," this study explores how sparring functions as a site for relationship-building, emotional co-regulation, and social repair. Using the concept of rough-and-tumble play (RTP) from developmental psychology, the paper analyzes how structured physical contact within martial arts can produce trust, care, and affiliation-qualities central to social cohesion and crime prevention. Findings show that martial arts clubs operate as "communities of care," where ethical forms of masculinity, credible role models, and embodied rituals of mutual respect counter the appeal of gang recruitment. However, the potential of martial arts is contingent on context; when RTP principles are violated-through unsafe environments or toxic sparring cultures-the same practices can backfire, harming trust and reinforcing alienation. The study contributes to criminological theory by foregrounding embodied interaction as a core mechanism in desistance-supportive environments and calls for closer attention to the relational infrastructures that make such interventions work.

European governments have increasingly relied on voluntary sport clubs (VSCs) to address social issues, particularly refugees’ social inclusion. Contemporarily, millions of Ukrainian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries; VSCs are thus more relevant than ever. This review synthesised the research on VSCs’ enabling and constraining features regarding refugees’ social inclusion. The review was conceptualised according to Bronfenbrenner’s Process-Person-Context-Time framework and DeLuca’s spectrum of social inclusion. The key findings indicate that: (i) initiatives are propelled by individuals with pre-existing capital and a commitment to social justice; (ii) the interaction between the organisational culture of VSCs and these individuals plays a crucial role in achieving social inclusion; (iii) VSCs often overlook refugees’ strengths; and (iv) cross-sectoral collaborations prove beneficial for VSCs. In summary, to effectively address refugees’ social inclusion, VSCs need support, resources, intercultural education, and exposure to nuanced notions of social inclusion.

Purpose - This scoping review mapped the extant literature on parents with a justice-involved youth and their attitudes and perceptions toward police. The study aimed to explore two research questions: (1) How do perceptions between parent and youth correspond? and (2) What factors affect the parental perception of police? Design/methodology/approach - A total of 14 studies were identified and analyzed. The review focused on understanding the relationship between parental and youth perceptions of police, as well as identifying factors that influence parental attitudes. Findings - In short, parents' perception of police strongly corresponds to that of youths' perception of police and parents with negative views of the police significantly impact how their children perceive law enforcement. Parental perceptions were found to be influenced by demographic, interpersonal and contextual factors. Notably, police officers' communicative skills, transparency and ability to interact with parents of justice-involved youth without stigmatizing them were critical in shaping positive perceptions. Research limitations/implications - The findings are based on a geographically limited number of studies. Future research should further explore these dynamics in different sociocultural contexts and expand the sample size for broader conclusions. Practical implications - The study underscores the importance of police officers developing strong communication skills and engaging with parents in a manner that avoids stigmatization. Improved interactions between law enforcement and families are essential for supporting justice-involved youth. Originality/value - This review highlights the role of parental attitudes in shaping youth perceptions of law enforcement that may inform police training aimed at fostering cooperation with families.

Forced migration from Ukraine is characterized by its distinctive demographic character: women, children, and the elderly. This distinctiveness is due to the sex-selective military recruiting law forcing Ukrainian men to stay in the country. Despite this law, anecdotal reports about Ukrainian men fleeing into neighboring countries have surfaced. As such, Ukrainian male refugees are a salient minority. In this article, I reflect on how this salient minority status affects Ukrainian male refugees. The sex-selective military recruiting law sends a potential message: Ukrainian men are not only legally supposed to stay in Ukraine, but strong normative forces are also at play. In short, stigma and shame are potential feelings that penetrate these men's day-to-day lives. I suggest that researchers approach the subject matter using two theoretical streams: (a) a gendered lens and (b) a theoretical framework of “promising victimhood” with notions of “undeserving” versus “deserving” refugees. I encourage researchers to do so while considering the sensitive situation in which Ukrainian male refugees find themselves.

Strong political neoliberal currents in Sweden are directing attention toward communities’ responsibility to address local issues, particularly in disadvantaged areas. In parallel, community sports clubs in Sweden have gained strong traction as being sites where social issues can be addressed. In Swedish disadvantaged areas, where infrastructure is of poor quality, these clubs can be an important addition to statutory interventions, but they need to be further explored in terms of strategic pathways and conditions. Community sports have only recently been conceptualized with Chaskin’s capacity-building concept. In this paper, I seek to further stimulate this line of inquiry. By using material from two interrelated projects with informants in the sports movement, I show how sports clubs use multiple strategies according to three of Chaskin’s proposed strategies: leadership development, organizational development, and inter-organizational collaboration. By outlining an empirically dense illustration, this paper contributes to the research on sports clubs and their role in the community and provides suggestions on how strategical assessments must include how associations develop strategies online.

This review examines the distinct treatment of millions of displaced Ukrainians amidst the ongoing conflict, compared to previous refugee groups in Europe, presenting a synthesis of research encompassing traditional and grey literature. Evaluating resettlement processes, the analysis underscores the unique factors shaping Ukrainian refugees' reception, shedding light on disparities compared to other refugee groups. Cultural perceptions, vulnerability, demographics and the framing of Russia as a common adversary influence responses from individuals, organizations and nations in unprecedented ways in Western societies. The discussion critically dissects these findings, proposing the concept of ‘promising victimhood’ for a nuanced understanding of differential treatment, while urging further theoretical development. This concise systematic review serves as a crucial benchmark for both academics and policymakers, emphasizing the need to address systemic injustices in refugee reception across various levels and sectors.

The Swedish sports movement has gained an increasingly profound role in addressing social issues. One such issue is migrant youths’ social inclusion in underserved areas, and the underlying assumption is that sports clubs fulfill an important function here. However, retaining migrant youths in organized sports in these areas is difficult, and sports clubs often struggle with the resources to satisfy social policies. This paper explored the practices of 12 experienced Swedish sports clubs to illuminate the strategies deployed to recruit and retain migrant youths in underserved areas. Sports clubs were conceptualized as local development-initiatives according to Rothman’s community work classification, and the results were analysed with Bronfenbrenner’s Person-Process-Context-Time framework. The results show that sports clubs are run by compassionate and locally embedded individuals, but that the representatives’ different forms of capital and sensitivity differentiate their success. Three processes are stressed as essential. Clubs need to establish robust relationships with migrant youths’ parents. Secondly, since clubs are contingent on driven, but strained, individuals, it is imperative to recruit and utilize (migrant) youth trainers. Finally, sports clubs must work in tandem with important institutions, such as the school. In summary, sports clubs must adopt creative strategies, and have resilience, time, and support. These findings indicate that enabling migrant youths’ inclusion into sports requires holistic solutions. 

Genom idrottsrörelsens verksamhet förväntas ett brett spektrum av mervärden, utöver enbart idrottslig utveckling och sportsliga framgångar. Främjandet av fysisk aktivitet, samhörighet, meningsfull fritidssysselsättning, social inkludering, integration, demokratisk fostran och brottförebyggande arbete bidrar till att motivera statlig och kommunal finansiering. I det implicita kontraktet mellan staten och idrottsrörelsen ingår även en aktiv strävan att vara öppen och tillgänglig för alla. Engagemanget för breddat deltagande utspelar sig i hög grad inom lokala medlemsbaserade föreningar, där ideella ledare står inför komplexa utmaningar. Ledaren har en nyckelroll, navigerar genom behov och förväntningar från utövare, föräldrar, styrelser och stat där egna förmågor och resurser blir avgörande. För att underlätta för den ideella lokala ledaren behövs olika former av stödstrukturer som behöver synliggöras tillsammans med ledarnas förutsättningar och bidrag till idrottsrörelsen.