Youth crime in the increase: Birgit Wiktorowski fights for solutions!

Youth crime in the increase: Birgit Wiktorowski fights for solutions!

Torgau, Deutschland - In northern Saxony, the figures for youth crime rise, and not too scarce. Children from the age of 14 are often faced with serious offenses. In particular, drug use, procurement crime and family problems are among the main causes of this alarming trend, such as [lvz.de] (https://www.lvz.de/lokales/nordsachsen/torgau/nordsachsen-wie-birgit-wiktorowski gegen-jugendkriminalitaet-kaempf-xsukgbhplk7o2bhara6ke.html). This also has to do with the fact that many young people come from burdened families in which violence, alcohol and drugs are the order of the day.

Birgit Wiktorowski, an experienced social worker at the AWO, has been involved in outpatient criminal aid for almost 20 years. Your approach is clear: she wants to help young people who are often referred to them by the judiciary or other authorities. Their work includes a wide range of offers-from anti-theft courses to social training courses to intensive individual aids and traffic lessons.

insights into the youth welfare system

An essential aspect of Wiktorowski's work are the care issues, which usually last between six and twelve months and are arranged by the court. These measures aim to help the young people to be managed to deal with their problems, but also to initiate a positive turn in their lives.

The numbers speak a clear language: in 2024 a total of 1243 suspects were registered in the Torgau police station. Among them were 79 children and 101 adolescents. The increase in bullying criminal offenses that have increased in recent years is particularly worrying. This also includes coercion and spreading manipulated images.

Another challenge is the increase in procurement crime, which is often feared by friends. It turns out that classic offenses such as shoplifting have subsided, but the problems are more diverse than ever. Wiktorowski often has to take care of topics such as school visit and debt regulation in her work. The success rate of the care issues was around 50 percent in 2024, so that not only is punished here, but also sustainable.

prevention on several levels

The increasing youth crime makes it necessary to actively shape preventive measures. The Federal Ministry of Youth deals intensively with the prevention of child and youth crime. It promotes specialist discussions and develops action strategies to better protect children and adolescents. As bmfsfj.de. The social challenges and violent experiences of young people in the foreground.

The importance of cooperation between youth welfare, school and police cannot be assessed highly enough. Preventive measures can only be successfully implemented through close cooperation. This is mainly done at the local level, where the implementation is anchored in the hands of the states and municipalities.

In northern Saxony it shows how important it is to recognize the needs of the young people affected and to offer them specific support and perspectives. The focus is on the idea of education, because it is not uncommon for a good dialogue between young people, their parents and the authorities to be the key to finally promote a positive development.

The prevention of crime and violence has developed over the years, and the work across institutions is increasingly considered essential to counteract further problems in the future. So it remains to be hoped that the continuous work, as Birgit Wiktorowski does, is paving a better way to many young people.