Disrupting the Recruitment of Youth into Organized Crime in Southeastern Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach

This document summarizes the outcomes of the technical workshop and policy dialogue on prevention of youth recruitment. It begins by examining the nature of youth recruitment into organized crime, clarifying key concepts. It highlights the ways that organized criminal groups strategically exploit structural vulnerabilities, including poverty, family violence, abuse and abandonment, social exclusion, and exposure to violence, to draw children and youth into criminal involvement. It then presents case studies and lessons learned, emphasizing promising practices in prevention, early identification, and multi-agency cooperation. It presents evidence-based prevention strategies and methodologies shared in the training, inspired by European early intervention models such as Swedens Rätt Kurva and Germanys Kurve Kriegen. Core features highlighted include early risk screening, multidisciplinary team approaches, pedagogical support, quality management systems, and prioritization of high-risk cases to ensure effective caseload management. Finally, the document presents key findings and policy recommendations discussed in the event, stressing the need for strengthened inter-agency cooperation, early intervention systems, and sustained investment in prevention frameworks that protect vulnerable youth and disrupt recruitment by organized crime networks.