The ambivalence of desistance: Balancing in the liminal space between deviance and conventionality.

This article examines early desistance from crime through the concept of ambivalence, using qualitative interviews with 10 participants involved in SIG, a voluntary defector and offender rehabilitation programme in Stockholm, Sweden. Despite a clear desire to desist, participants experienced conflicting feelings as they navigated the liminal phase between their criminal past and an uncertain, crime-free future, often weighing the benefits of crime against the losses and struggles of desistance. The study highlights how ambivalence—characterized by hesitancy, doubts, backsliding, and conditional commitment—is shaped by the precarious social positions of marginalized youth, for whom crime may provide essential resources, identity, and social support. These findings suggest that early desistance is a fragile, socially situated process marked by setbacks and emotional conflict, underscoring the need for rehabilitation programmes to address the pains and uncertainties inherent in this transitional phase.