Albanian authorities make social media work for youth crime prevention at OSCE workshop

Representatives from Albanian authorities joined child-protection specialists and young people in Tirana on 14–15 April to explore how social media can be used to prevent youth involvement in crime. The workshop was organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, in co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania.

“Social media can be a powerful tool for prevention,” said Klaudia Hasanllari, Director of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Center under Albania’s Ministry of Justice. “It helps de-glamorize criminal lifestyles, highlight positive alternatives, and amplify the voices of people who’ve left that life behind, as well as youth thought leaders.”

The workshop brought together 40 participants, including professionals from the justice, law enforcement, health, social services, child protection, anti-corruption and education sectors, alongside young people themselves. They discussed current trends in youth crime, such as how criminal groups use social media for recruitment, and examined ways to turn these platforms into tools for awareness, prevention and resilience-building.

The event also aimed to lay the groundwork for a targeted social media awareness campaign on youth crime prevention in Albania. Participants explored how to shape compelling messages, identify the right audiences, and choose the most effective online platforms. A strong emphasis was placed on involving young people in promoting a culture of integrity online.

The workshop is part of the multi-year OSCE extrabudgetary project “Enhancing youth crime and drug use prevention through education on legality and awareness campaigns addressing threats of organized crime and corruption” funded by Italy. Other donors supporting this project are Andorra, Finland, Germany, Norway and Poland.