CRIMINOLOGICAL FEATURES OF YOUTH CRIME, MECHANISMS FOR ITS PREVENTION, AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCE MEASURES
Vol. 6 No. 4 (2026): Eurasian Journal of Law, Finance and Applied Sciences 50-58
Abstract
Juvenile delinquency remains one of the most pressing challenges facing modern society. This article examines the criminological characteristics of youth crime, identifying its structural features, typological patterns, and principal risk factors. The analysis then turns to prevention: what mechanisms have the strongest empirical support, where systemic gaps persist, and why criminal justice responses alone consistently fail to produce durable reductions in offending. Finally, the article evaluates the role of educational influence measures — from school-based programmes and vocational training to mentorship and restorative justice — assessing their documented effectiveness, conditions for success, and the limits of the current evidence base. The central argument is that sustainable crime reduction among youth requires integrated, early-stage intervention grounded in criminological understanding, not reactive punishment
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