Swedish study links girls' mental‑health issues to overlooked youth crime, while government probes social‑media impact –

A new Swedish study finds that mental‑health problems and youth crime are connected, but manifest differently for boys and girls. Criminologist Linn Persson explains that boys who offend often show outward aggression, whereas girls involved in crime more frequently suffer from depression and anxiety, making them easier to miss in prevention efforts.

Separately, the Swedish government has tasked the Equality Agency with investigating how social‑media environments affect boys and young men. The mandate will examine exposure to misogynistic, violent, and self‑harm‑glorifying content across platforms such as open networks, video services, gaming communities and private forums, and assess how these influences shape mental health, loneliness and gender attitudes.

Both initiatives reflect a growing focus in Sweden on gender‑specific mental‑health challenges among young people and on preventive measures in the criminal‑justice and digital‑policy realms.