Experts consider little of ‘prison -like’ accommodation for particularly delinquent children, as suggested by Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner (ÖVP). The measure must be at the end of a prevention chain. So how do you continue?
In Vienna there are between 30 and 40 children under the age of 14 who cannot be achieved with the earlier offers, said Ingrid Pöschmann, spokeswoman for the city of Vienna (Mon 11). “If healthcare in the family, intramural offers, residential groups or educational projects for adventure are not applicable, we see the progress at closed facilities as a further option, as an Ultima ratio, for the children who don’t all want to accept this.”
However, this requires a clear change of federal legislation for closed facilities and a “judicial decision in which the child must be stopped. This may not be based on randomness.”
Alfred Kohlberger of the Neustart Association cannot do anything with the image of the prison -like accommodation. “We can imagine that provisions with temporary presence have been created.” In addition to the legal framework, a “human rights and fundamental legislation emphasized and subsequently an assessment of whether this deprivation of freedom was the best resources,” Kohlberger emphasized.
Sociologist fears a negative effect
From a crime -social point of view, a bit is achieved with hard measures such as closed facilities, said Günter Stummvoll, sociologist at the Institute for Conflict Research and Lector at the University of Vienna. “If you tear and lock young people from their lives, it only has negative consequences for the further curriculum vitae,” he explained.
In the term “prison -like”, the criminal sociologist sees an incentive: “I suspect that this is very deliberately used to reach a clientele that appeals to the law and order and to provoke.” Because prisons are “psychological, physical and harmful to young people”. International studies would show that hard measures increase the chance of relapse.
But how should closed facilities look like, should they come? In any case, the attempting situation must be child -friendly for the well -being of children and young people. According to spokeswoman Pöschmann, it is important that the rooms are defined and safe. Moreover, a team of therapists, social workers and educators, but also teaching staff -the children are also obliged to school -as security personnel. Because, so that the children change their behavior, you have to build a good relationship with them.
“Not just malignant people”
It is precisely these stable relationships that many children miss who are repeatedly debitulated. When young actions commit violent actions, this is stupid because of “broken houses” and countless negative experiences. They came from broken families, would experience little control and were often the victim of violence itself. Violent crime in particular is repeatedly stated that the perpetrators would compensate for their “lack of opportunities in society or failure at school”. “These are not just malignant people.”
At the same time, the number of people who become repeated or even intensive offenders is several for many crimes, very small. In Vienna, according to the Restart, director Kohlberger, there are around 30 to a maximum of 50 intensive perpetrators-again and again as a “system sprinkler”. The term comes from pedagogy and mainly refers to children and adolescents who do not accept any help offers. “We prefer to speak of shameful children,” says Kohlberger. “You have happened to with you and you present us outrageous challenges.”
Instead of locking up young people, according to Stummstüll, people must increasingly rely on care in institutions in which intensive perpetrators experience a certain amount of control by specialized personnel- “always combined with an offer of conversation and help,” the expert said.
Karner’s “problem children”
The discussion about the subject of juvenile crime was again taken into account after Minister of the Interior Karner presented the current figures for crime statistics on Monday. Karner described the area of juvenile crime as a “problem child”, the advertisements in this area had risen sharply. However, the number of young people between the ages of 14 and 18 have decreased in recent years.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
