ABSTRACT
In the 1990s, the issues of “race” and “ethnicity” have emerged as new concepts among young people in Finland. During this period, the racialisation of youth gangs has taken place, either through the staking out of the claims by native youths such as skinheads to keep away from “niggers” and “black heads”, or through ethnic gangs distancing themselves from native youth. This chapter considers the issue of racist violence with respect to violent brawls between skinheads and Somali youngsters, and actions taken by the police to alleviate the situation. Racist violence may take many forms and consist of attacks on property as well as on people on account of perceived factors such as colour, race, nationality and ethnic or national origins. Moreover, the training of police officers should provide new opportunities for developing more professional policing and more creative strategies for responding to racist violence.
