Exploring Best Practices in Juvenile Delinquency Prevention: Study Visits to Denmark and Sweden

From November 8th to 10th, 2023, the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania, in close collaboration with offices in Latvia and Estonia, will join forces with Senior Advisers from the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Nordic Welfare Centre, the Danish Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing, and Senior Citizens, the Swedish Agency of Institutional Care (SIS), and the Swedish Ministry of Social Affairs to organize a study trip to Denmark and Sweden. This educational journey aims to benefit national and local authorities from the Baltic countries.

The Baltic delegation includes officials from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, alongside Nordic Council of Ministers representatives.

The primary objective of these study visits in Denmark and Sweden is to gain valuable insights into the policies for preventing and intervening in juvenile delinquency. Participants will explore how cross-sectoral coordination is implemented at both the national and local levels. Moreover, they will have the opportunity to learn about effective practices and services provided to minors in state-run institutions and municipal centers to help them redirect their behavior. The delegation will also become acquainted with non-governmental organizations that offer a diverse range of organized, low-threshold activities for youth. Through meetings and discussions held in Denmark and Sweden, it is anticipated that regional networks of decision-makers will be established to foster ongoing knowledge exchange.

The study visits program

The study visits program includes the following highlights:

On November 8th, at the Nordic Council of Ministers in Copenhagen, the Baltic delegation will have the opportunity to listen to presentations by representatives from the Danish Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing, and Senior Citizens. They will also hear from the Unit for Disadvantaged Children, the Danish Youth Crime Board, the Danish National Board of Social Services, and a Copenhagen Municipality institution running the “Idrætsprojektet” project, which is renowned for its successful crime prevention work.

The delegation will visit the NGO GAME to learn about how the organization is driving social change through youth-led street sports and street culture. This concept has been adopted successfully in several countries outside Denmark.

On November 9th, a visit is organized to meet and discuss with the staff at the Hassleholm Institution, which operates under the Swedish Agency of Institutional Care (SIS), along with other youth centers.

On November 10th, meetings and discussions will take place at the Nordic Welfare Centre in Stockholm, featuring Swedish experts from the Swedish Agency of Social Services (SocialStyrelsen), the Agency of Institutional Care (SIS), and SBU, which is currently working on two reports on juvenile delinquency. The Swedish Ministry of Social Affairs will present some of its national initiatives, and the National Council for Crime Prevention will discuss support for the implementation of policies and strategies for crime prevention, as well as assistance with local cooperation regarding young offenders and the prevention of violent crimes in criminal groups.

The visit program will conclude with a visit to the non-profit Foundation Fryshuset Sweden, which works globally and is dedicated to driving social change and positive development for young people.

For more information about the regional project on social and health issues, you can visit: https://norden.lv/en/projects/social-welfare-and-security/nordic-baltic-pilot-project-on-cooperation-on-social-affairs-and-health/