Juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice in the Netherlands

Abstract

In the 1990s, the interest in juvenile delinquency has grown substantially in the Netherlands as a result of an increase of serious crime, but also of specific events. In this paper we identify trends in juvenile delinquency in the Netherlands, based on police data as well as self-report studies. The over-all level of juvenile delinquency is fairly stable, but violence against persons shows a marked increase. Traditionally, the Dutch response to juvenile delinquency was mild, but probably due to changing crime patterns a trend has become discernible into the direction of tougher action. This trend is confirmed by a new juvenile criminal law, enacted in 1995. Recent policies in dealing with juvenile crime target both prevention and punishment.