Agents of change: Young people as drivers for a safer tomorrow

Eni Gjergji is an Economic Adviser, Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) and Mara Garavini Seisselberg is a Criminal Justice Adviser, OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department (TNTD).

Youth crime poses a significant challenge to security and stability across the OSCE area, with far-reaching consequences for both individuals and communities. The statistics are alarming, revealing that – on average – juvenile delinquents have 100 victims and generate social follow-up costs of 1.7 million euros by the age of 25 (source: Zahlen und Fakten | Kurve Kriegen (nrw.de)).

Despite the fact that young people under the age of 24 make up around 16 per cent of the world population (source: Youth | United Nations), decisions impacting the world they will inherit are far too often made without their input.

The OSCE applies a comprehensive approach that places the voice of young people at the centre of the conversation of security and youth crime prevention. Preventing youth crime, strengthening co-operation around youth involvement, promoting the engagement of civil society, economic empowerment of young people and their direct involvement in policy development are just some of the ways in which we can help shape a safer, more secure world both today and tomorrow.

Applying a preventive approach

Acting early and with a long-term perspective is key to proactively addressing youth crime. Prevention, rather than response, is one of the main ways in which the OSCE works with participating States to foster a culture of legality, integrity, and resilience among young people from an early age.

As part of our preventative approach to youth crime, young people are made aware of the dangers of criminality, organized crime and corruption through the development of educational programmes and awareness-raising campaigns. Financial literacy and economic empowerment equip youth with the skills and resources they need to make lawful financial choices and help them make better decisions rather than engaging in economically driven criminal behaviour. Advocating for the integration of these competencies into the education system, complemented by essential life skills such as critical thinking, conflict resolution and the ability to resist peer pressure, is one of the ways in which we foster informed and lawful decision-making from an early age.

Strengthening co-operation among multiple stakeholders

Effectively addressing youth crime requires communication and co-operation among key actors, including the police, relevant state agencies, schools, social services and civil society. Strengthening collaboration at the local and national levels to identify and address risk factors at an early stage enables both a comprehensive and tailored approach to strengthening youth crime resilience. It allows stakeholders to bring their expertise to the table and share insights within a network, while also providing a forum for adapted responses that meet the unique needs of each individual community, neighbourhood, country or region.

By sharing information, experts, policy-makers, members of civil society and other stakeholders can collectively develop comprehensive prevention strategies. Collaboration between the police, other specialized agencies and schools can help identify at-risk youth and provide them with the necessary support early on. Social services, on the other hand, can offer guidance and assistance to these young people, ensuring they receive the help they need.

Promoting civil society engagement and economic empowerment

The OSCE advocates for a whole-of-society approach to youth crime prevention, which includes the economic empowerment of young people. Civil society organizations contribute their expertise and specialization to finding solutions to the challenges faced by youth and their communities. These organizations can offer grassroots expertise, directly engaging with youth and their communities on the obstacles they face, including addressing economic factors that contribute to crime.

Their involvement ensures that prevention efforts address the specific needs and challenges faced by youth across the OSCE region, empowering them to pursue lawful and productive lives. One of the ways in which the OSCE supports civil society engagement in youth crime prevention is through support and funding to organizations that work to create sustainable change on the ground.

Engaging youth in policy development

Too often, young people are excluded from the policy-making process: decisions are made for them, not with them. The OSCE places their voices at the centre of shaping policies and initiatives related to young people and youth crime prevention. By actively engaging young people and providing them with national, regional and cross-regional platforms for dialogue and experience-sharing, we empower them to become agents of change.

Youth involvement not only enhances the relevance and effectiveness of prevention measures on common security challenges, including organized crime and corruption, but it also fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility among young people. By including youth perspectives, policies and initiatives that respond to their unique needs and challenges are put in place.

The far-reaching implications of security challenges affect us all. But they pose a particular threat to the wellbeing, prosperity, safety and security of future generations. Exposure to unlawful behaviour at an early age poses long-term risks to individuals, communities and societies, undermining security and peace across the globe.

As with other security challenges, addressing youth crime demands a comprehensive approach that goes beyond reactive measures.

By focusing on prevention, multi-stakeholder co-operation, civil society engagement, economic empowerment and youth participation, we are in a position to make lasting change. By fostering a culture of legality and integrity, resilience, and critical thinking among young people, we equip them with the tools to resist criminality and make lawful, ethical decisions in the face of challenging situations. By bringing together different stakeholders, we assist States in developing holistic solutions that tackle risk factors from multiple angles.

Perhaps most importantly, by our active involvement of youth and amplifying their voices, they themselves become agents of change, shaping a more prosperous, secure and peaceful future for us all.