Strafttyper

Strafttyper is a term used in Scandinavian criminology and law enforcement to describe the main categories or types of criminal offenses. The word translates roughly to “crime types” and is used to organize and analyze data on criminal activity, support statistical reporting, and inform policy discussions. It is not a single fixed code, but a framework that researchers and authorities apply to classify offenses for comparative and evaluative purposes.

A typical straftyper framework groups offenses into several broad categories. Violent offenses include crimes such as homicide, assault, and sexual violence. Property offenses cover theft, burglary, arson, and vehicle crimes. White-collar offenses refer to fraud, embezzlement, and other financially motivated non-violent crimes. Additional categories often include drug-related offenses, cybercrime such as hacking and online fraud, public-order offenses like disorderly conduct, and regulatory or environmental offenses involving violations of laws and safety standards. Some classifications also recognize offenses against the state or administrative offenses, such as violations of licensing or tax rules.

In practice, strafttyper usage supports crime statistics, risk assessment, and resource allocation, as well as the evaluation of crime prevention and enforcement strategies. However, the taxonomy is not universal or static: boundaries between categories can be blurry, offenses may fit multiple types, and coding schemes vary across jurisdictions and data sources. Researchers and policymakers typically document the specific classification scheme used when reporting results.