The NRW initiative Kurve kriegen - Early help instead of late harshness is the motto against child and youth crime
They are still young and yet already on the way to a criminal career: young multiple offenders. Before the spiral finally turns downwards, the North Rhine-Westphalian police want to prevent this with an initiative: "Kurve kriegen" is intended to show the way out of crime.
When children as young as eight years old commit crimes and their offenses become more frequent or more serious as they get older, a young person is at risk of becoming a prolific offender and going off the rails permanently.
...the NRW police have launched the "Turn the corner" initiative. The concept focuses on early help instead of late harshness. No child is born an offender. The aim is to counteract this by correctly interpreting the early signals that indicate an ongoing criminal career and reacting consistently. The initiative, which is unique in Germany, was launched in eight authorities, including Dortmund, in 2011. The initiative has since been extended to other authorities. If a child who has not yet reached the age of criminal responsibility is identified by the police as having committed a violent offense or three serious property crimes within a year, they can be supervised by "Kurve kriegen". Special expertise is required when dealing with these children. For this reason, educational specialists from independent child and youth welfare organizations are integrated into the police teams. The initiative is based on the principle of voluntariness. If the parents agree, the educational specialist visits the family and starts work. Depending on the child's needs, they consult with the youth welfare office and coordinate cooperation with the other players in the network. Cooperation with the parents is very important here. As part of "Kurve kriegen", they are offered various types of support in the form of counseling sessions and parent training. The aim is to achieve social integration through the various offers, for example through learning aids, language or sports courses. The measures are available for two years due to their sustainability: Prevention is the best protection - both for victims and perpetrators.
