Wene (Oostenryk), 19 Mei 2021 – Die wêreld is vandag die tuiste van 1.8 miljard jongmense, die grootste generasie van
jeug in die geskiedenis. Belegging in die jeug is die sleutel tot die bou van 'n beter môre, aangesien hul energie, leervermoë en vindingrykheid
maak hulle groot agente van verandering.
Terselfdertyd is die jeug veral kwesbaar vir misdaad, geweld en dwelmgebruik. Sekere faktore by die individu,
gesins-, gemeenskaps- en samelewingsvlakke maak hulle veral geneig om aan misdaad deel te neem. Byvoorbeeld, lae geletterdheid en
vroeë skoolversaking, swak ouerskapvaardighede of gesinsnood, die beskikbaarheid van dwelms en wapens, werkloosheid en swak
oppergesag van die reg verhoog almal die risiko van kriminele gedrag.
Ongelukkig, die
COVID-19-pandemie het baie van hierdie risikofaktore vererger vir jongmense wêreldwyd, van skole dwing om te sluit
en die verergering van jeugwerkloosheid om die lewering van belangrike gesondheids- en welstandsdienste te belemmer.
Met die erkenning van die belangrikheid daarvan om jongmense teen misdaad te beskerm om hulle in staat te stel om positiewe rolspelers van verandering te word,
UNODC het die beskerming, deelname en bemagtiging van die jeug een van die drie deursnee-verpligtinge van sy Strategie vir 2021-2025.
Bemagtiging van die jeug en die verbetering van hul veerkragtigheid teen misdaad deur gesonde lewens- en lewensvaardigheidsopleidingsprogramme
Investing in the healthy development of young people is a major component of UNODC’s efforts to prevent youth involvement
in crime. For instance, UNODC’s <a href="https://www.unodc.org/dohadeclaration/en/news/2021/02/unodc-forges-new-partnerships-in-peru-to-advance-youth-crime-prevention-through-sport--despite-the-pandemic.html" rel="nofollow">Youth
Crime Prevention through Sport (YCP) initiative</a> uses sports and sports-based learning to teach young people key personal
and social skills and to engage their communities, helping to create safe public spaces for positive youth development.
Through sports, UNODC reinforces youth and community resilience to crime, even in the middle of the pandemic. An example
is the recent <a href="https://www.unodc.org/dohadeclaration/en/news/2021/02/unodc-forges-new-partnerships-in-peru-to-advance-youth-crime-prevention-through-sport--despite-the-pandemic.html" rel="nofollow">partnership
with key actors in the sports and youth areas in Peru</a>, which has helped to empower youth with new skills and reinforce
their well-being through a series of online events, learning courses and training sessions revolving around sports.
<h3>Mobilizing families and communities to address the conditions giving rise to crime</h3>
UNODC also mobilizes young people’s families, schools and communities to address the conditions that give rise to antisocial
behaviour and crime before they appear.
For instance, in Central America and the Caribbean, UNODC’s <a href="https://www.unodc.org/ropan/en/DrugDemandReduction/strong-families.html" rel="nofollow">Strengthening
Families Programme</a> supports parents with children between the ages of 10 and 14 to prevent drug abuse, crime and other
risk behaviours in youth.
<h3>Strengthening youth crime prevention through the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice</h3>
Reflecting on the significance of this challenge, strengthening youth crime prevention will be the focus of several side
events throughout the 30th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice happening this week in Vienna
and online.
Young people are our most precious resource to build safer, healthier and more just societies. To enable them to achieve
their transformative potential, through the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and beyond, UNODC will continue
its efforts to safeguard and empower history’s largest generation of youth.