Suspects Under the Age of Twelve Never Have To Appear in Court and Are Therefore Not Convicted. This applies, for example, to the eleven-year-old boy who is suspected of stealing a fatbike in Capelle aan den IJssel. What does happen?
There is No Standard Plan for Those Under Twelve. All Kinds of Organizations Are Taking Action: Veilig Thuis, The Police, The Public Prosecution Service, The Child Care and Protection Board and the Three Rehabilitation Organizations (3RO) Work Together to Assess The Child’s Situation. A tailor-made plan is then drawn up based on this.
Accordance to Judith Kuypers, Chair of the National Safe Home Network, Care and Justice Partners Must Work Together Well in Such Situations. If some under the age of twelve commits an offense, there is no standard body that assesses the situation first. This Depends on Several Factors, Kuypers Tells Nu.nl. “There may be signals of an unsafe home situation. At Such Times there is joint coordination between the partners Involved.”
This Collaboration Takes Place Within the Safety First Program. Information about the Child’s Family is Exchanged with Each Other When Necessary. With This, the Authorities Assess How a Safe Situation Can Be Created. “An offense has bone committed, but it is important to look at the context. Are there, for example, other factors playing a role? And are the parents acting properly after the offense has bone committed?”
Control Lies with the Parents If the Police See That They Are Responding Well to the Offense. Parents then decide for themelves Whether they want to call in help from agencies and what consequence they give their child.
Customized care: What happens after an offense?
The Police Report to Safe Home If the Parents of the Under-Welve Are Not Taking Action, because Do not take it seriously, for example, or if there are other problems at home.
After that report, Safe Home Investigates Together with Parents and Aid Workers Why The Child Went Wrong. Stress factors of play a role, such as mental problems, financial worries or traumas. The Aim is to help the family Improve the Home Situation.
Usually Parents Want Change And Are Open to Help, Says Kuypers. “Sometimes support from a neighborhood team, specialist help or mental health care may be needed for a more stable environment for the child.”
The Child Care and Protection Board Comes Into The Picture If The Voluntary Assistance Program Does Not Work Sufficiently. There is then no punishment, but a forced process to protect the child, the counter tells nu.nl. This – If all Goes Well – Prevents A Child from Going Wrong Again and then Being Convicted as a Twelve -Plusser.
But accordance to Agnes Derksen of the Netherlands Youth Institute (NJI), it is too simplistic to point to parents as response for the offense. “Most Parents Absolutely Do Not Want This For Their Child,” She explains to nu.nl. “If we only focus on punishment, that may feel, but it is of counterproductive. It reinforces a possible isolation of the family and does not help the child either. And ultimately not the society either.”
Accordance to Derksen, it is precisely important to look at how you can support and strengthen the family. “How can we ensure that parents are able to raise their child safely? These are complex stories. We want to solve it quickly and simply, but they are or complicated situations that deserve attention and a care-orientedededededed.”
What do the figures show?
There are Concerns from Both Youth Workers and Young People Themselves About Children Being Involved in Crime at A Young Age. Accordance to the nji, there is no clear increase in Youth Crime Among Those Under Twelve.
“In recent decades, Youth Crime in General Has Decreased Sharply, Although The Decline Seems to Be Stabilizing in recent years,” Says Mike Loef of the Institute. Incidents Such as Explosions or Weapon Incidents of Receive a Lot Of Attention in the Media, which, Accordance to Him, Can Contribute To The Feeling That Youth Crime Is Increasing.