Youth Criminality

1. Youth Criminality Malesys Sibe

2. Important facts • Child rights • All minors older than 12 have to agree with the guidance that they receive. • The law on juvenile protection • Because of this law, there are not only measures but also preventions. That’s the reason that voluntarily help and general prevention exists. • Youth sanction right • Minors younger than 16 can’t commit a crime, they commit a ‘criminal described act’. That’s why they can’t be punished, they get a ‘measure’.

3. Important facts • The least significant measure • All measures should have the least consequences for the child. They have to find the measures that fits best with the youngster without drastic changes. That’s why placements should stay the exception. • Youth sanction right • Normally the guidance stops at the age of 18. But it can be extended when the youngster is a danger for himself or his environment.

4. Explanations • Criminal described acts • When a youngster commits a act that is not normal for his age and can’t be accepted by the community. (e.g. When a 17 year old causes a fire on purpose.) • Problematic upbringing situations. • This is when the youngster is in a environment that has a negative influence on the upbringing or when the parents can’t offer the right upbringing without help. (e.g. When the parents have a alcohol addiction.)

5. 1st level • General prevention services • Preventive family support • Youth line

6. General prevention services • Target(s): • All citizens. • Practical example: • ‘Kortrijk Safe Party zone-system’. • Organizer: • The cities and municipalities. • Aim(s): • Create a secure and safe environment for all citizens.

7. Preventive family support • Target(s): • All parents from the birth of their child until the age of 3. • Practical example: • Free information. • 2house visits. • ‘Child and Family line’.(Kind en Gezinlijn) • Organizer: • ‘Child and Family’.(Kind en Gezin) • Aim(s): • Creating a child-friendly and stable environment.

8. Youth line • Organizer: • ‘Youth Welfare'.(JongerenWelzijn) • Aim(s): • Answering complaints or questions about children, young people and their upbringing. • Target(s): • Anyone that needs help and minors that are or aren’t yet in special youth care. • Practical example: • ‘Yo-line’.(Jo-lijn) ! This intervention can be placed in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd level !

9. 2 nd level • Projects subsidized by 'Youth Welfare’. • Specialized services subsidized by ‘Child and Family’. • Prevention- and upbringing support • Youth line

10. Projects subsidized by 'Youth Welfare' • Target(s): • young people between the age of 12 and 18 that are have troubles with school. • Practical example: • ‘Time-out projects’. • Organizer: • ‘Youth Welfare’. • Aim(s): • Preventing problems from escalating and keeping young people out of special youth care and in school.

11. Specialized services subsidized by 'Child and Family' • Target(s): • Parents that have problems and questions about upbringing. • Practical example: • ‘centre for childcare and family support’. • ‘Service for family supporting foster care’. • Organizer: • ‘Child and Family’. • Aim(s): • Trying to recreate a better child-friendly and steady environment.

12. Prevention- and upbringing support • Target(s): • Parents and minors who have questions and problems. Especially youngsters in vulnerable groups. • Practical example: • ‘Prevention team’. • ‘Parenting store’. • Organizer: • ‘Special Youth Care’. • Aim(s): • Preventing young people from entering ‘Special Youth Care’.

13. Youth line • Organizer: • ‘Youth Welfare'.(JongerenWelzijn) • Aim(s): • Answering complaints or questions about children, young people and their upbringing. • Target(s): • Anyone that needs help and minors that are or aren’t yet in special youth care. • Practical example: • ‘Yo-line’.(Jo-lijn) ! This intervention can be placed in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd level !

14. 3 rd level • Youth office of the public prosecutor • Voluntarily individual help services of ‘Special Youth Welfare' • Mediation (in criminal cases) • Juvenile court • Forced individual help services of ‘Special Youth Welfare' • Community establishments of ‘Special Youth Welfare' • Federal centre of special youth assistance • Assignments of criminal justice • Private provision of ‘Special Youth Welfare' • Youth line

15. How they are connected

16. Youth office of the public prosecutor • Target(s): • Minors that, according to the police, have committed a ‘criminal described act’. • Practical example: • dismissing the file. • sending a warning letter. • Calling to explain. • Offering mediation. • Parent training. • Organizer: • The public ministry. • Aim(s): • To determine and qualify what will happen with the file of the youngster.

17. Voluntarily individual help services of ‘Special Youth Welfare' • Target(s): • Youngsters and their families in problematic upbringing situations. • Practical example: • Community for special youth care • Mediation commission • Organizer: • ‘Special Youth Welfare’. • Aim(s): • Helping youngsters that voluntarily accept help.

18. Mediation (in criminal cases) • Target(s): • Youngsters that are involved in a ‘criminal described act’ or that are in a problematic upbringing situation. • Practical example: • Conversation between all the involved persons or in case of a ‘criminal described act’ between offender and victim. • Organizer: • The Belgium government. • Aim(s): • Resolving a conflict without the intervention of a judge.

19. Juvenile court • Target(s): • Youngsters and their parents in problematic situations or when they are involved in a ‘criminal described act’. • Organizer: • The Belgium government. • Aim(s): • Choosing the right guidance for the youngster that fits best with their needs.

20. Forced individual help services of ‘Special Youth Welfare' • Target(s): • For youngsters and their families in problematic upbringing situations (when voluntarily help failed) or youngsters involved in a ‘criminal described act’. • Practical example: • Private provisions of ‘Special Youth Welfare' • ‘Parent training’. • Organizer: • ‘Special Youth Welfare'. • Aim(s): • Offering help to youngsters that need it, by creating a steady environment and giving support that fits the needs of the youngster.

21. Community establishments of ‘Special Youth Welfare' • Target(s): • Youngsters in a problematic situations or who are involved in a ‘criminal described act’. • Practical example: • ‘De Zande’. • ‘De Kempen’. • Organizer: • 'Youth Welfare'. • Aim(s): • Creating a steady and structured environments that fits the needs of the youngsters.

22. Federal centre of special youth assistance • Target(s): • For youngsters that have been put in a temporary placing centre because they participated in a ‘criminal described act’. • Practical example: • ‘Everberg’. • ‘Tongeren’. • Organizer: • 'Youth Welfare’. • Aim(s): • Creating a temporary place for youngsters to stay when there is no place in a community establishment.

23. Assignments of criminal justice • Target(s): • Youngsters that are going to be treated as an adult, are send as suspects or convicts to the normal court. • Practical example: • Freedom under conditions. • Work punishment • Organizer: • The Belgium government. • Aim(s): • Guiding and watching over the suspects or convicted persons.

24. Private provision of ‘Special Youth Welfare' • Target(s): • Youngsters in a problematic upbringing situation or who are involved in a ‘criminal described act’. • Practical example: • ‘Guiding homes’. • ‘daycentres ’. • Organizer: • ‘Special Youth Welfare’. • Aim(s): • Creating a steady and structured environment that fits the needs of the youngster.

25. Youth line • Organizer: • ‘Youth Welfare'.(JongerenWelzijn) • Aim(s): • Answering complaints or questions about children, young people and their upbringing. • Target(s): • Anyone that needs help and minors that are or aren’t yet in special youth care. • Practical example: • ‘Yo-line’.(Jo-lijn) ! This intervention can be placed in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd level !

26. The end For supporting literature see the ‘preparation format intervention’ documents and the ‘summary intervention’ document about youth criminality.