BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

12th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology BOOK OF ABSTRACT
workers and profit from exploitation them by the employers. Also profile of the victim of forced
labour is very much different than the profile of the victim of human trafficking. Finally the
mechanism of enslavement and control over the victims differs in case of trafficking in human
beings and in case of forced labour.
(E)BuSINESS IS (E)BuSINESS: RESEARChING hOW
TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIzEd CRIME REACTS ANd
AdApTS TO ESOCIETy
ANITA LAvORGNA
uNIvERSITy OF TRENTO, TRENTO, ITALy
While it is often assumed that the expansion of the Internet has an impact on crime, there have
been few empirical investigations into whether and how this has affected transnational trafficking
flows. However, it is hardly surprising that benefits enjoyed by conventional businesses from
using the Internet are not lost on criminal groups. In order to better interpret the behavior of
criminal groups illegally trading goods and services, it is helpful to consider them as a genre of
businessmen coming to grips with peculiar types of import-export activities. The paper argues
that by adopting this business model and including the element of professionalization in the
definition of transnational organized crime, it’s possible to consider a whole range of criminal
markets to identify the opportunity system exploited when it comes to the Internet. In this way
possibilities for crime prevention can be identified, helping balance an agenda for open Internet
with demands for security.
GANGMEMBERS AS dRuGdEALERS: LIFE WIThIN ThE
dRuG dISTRIBuTION-SySTEM.
INGER-LISE LIEN
NORWEGIAN CENTRE FOR vIOLENCE ANd TRAuMATIC STRESS STudIES, OSLO,
NORWAy
The paper is based on anthropological field work in Oslo, interviews and mental health screening
of 50 incarcerated young criminals of whom 30 were currently, or had been gang members. The
study finds that gang members are active within the drug distribution system that is analyzed
as autopoiesis– it is self-made and kept separate by communication barriers. The study shows
that violence is important as a compensation for the lack of trust within the system; it integrates
the system and strengthens the barriers of it, but leads to traumatization. Gang members, that
are recruited into the system are likely to suffer from symptoms of traumatic stress, indicating
that at the individual level treatment of depression and PTSD could be important steps towards
leaving it. In order to reduce and shrink the system and leave the gang, efficient communication
strategies that break the barriers of the system seems to be needed.
46 TRAdITIONAL ANd NEW FORMS OF CRIME ANd dEvIANCE