Gjengangerne, identitet og selvfølelse

Abstract

This article discusses the results of in-depth interviews with ten repetitive offenders, i.e offenders who have been imprisoned seven times or more. Several of them have been imprisoned twelve times or more. The interviews focus on self-image and self-confidence. The informants describe feelings of stigmatisation and exclusion from society. They are often lonely, and all of them indicate ambivalence towards their drug-related social networks. They also describe symptoms of generalized anxiety, depression and panic attacks. None of the informants have a positive self-image. They all tell of repeated failure, of an inability to manage even simple activities, and of a lack of belief in own abilities. Many of them perceive themselves as a burden on society. Their negative self-images and anxieties have caused them to consider taking their own lives.