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News Article: Combining Forces to Reduce Youth Crime in North Rhine-Westphalia
In North Rhine-Westphalia, a unique initiative called "Kurve kriegen" is making a significant impact on youth crime. Launched in 2011, this program aims to help criminally endangered children and young people get back on track and avoid further criminal behaviour.
The initiative brings police officers and social workers together, working side by side to provide a comprehensive approach to addressing the underlying social causes of youth crime. This close cooperation has been instrumental in the initiative's success, with a focus on preventing juvenile delinquency, providing social support and guidance, and integrating police and social work efforts.
The program targets youths at risk of engaging in criminal activities, offering them help before more serious offenses occur. By placing social workers in close contact with police, it ensures that young offenders receive both the legal oversight and social support they need. This approach transforms the juvenile justice process into a preventive and restorative system, reducing recidivism.
One such young person benefiting from the initiative is Ahmed, a 12-year-old boy who has experienced a lot in his short life, having fled from his home country. Ahmed is currently receiving intensive help from the social workers at the Duisburg-Ruhrort Police Station for his impulse control and violent behaviour. Initial improvements have been noticed in Ahmed's behaviour, as he has learned to take the perspective of others, breathe through difficult situations, and stay calmer.
The department on the second floor of the Duisburg-Ruhrort Police Station is staffed by social workers from Grafschafter Diakonie. Kathrin Elbers, one of the social workers, picked up Ahmed from school last week with her therapy and pedagogy accompaniment dog Lio. This work provides significant relief for the children and their parents, many of whom were unaware of the available support options.
The social workers approach their work systematically, screening and selecting at-risk youth with the consent of their guardians. Based on this assessment, they develop a support program that can include ambulatory family support, learning promotion, therapeutic support, help in finding a sports club, school context support, social competence training, and violence prevention training.
The "Kurve kriegen" initiative targets criminally endangered children and young people aged 8 to 18 and their families. It has been recognized internationally, with a Ukrainian delegation visiting the Kurve kriegen site in Heinsberg in July 2025 to study its approach as part of efforts to reform juvenile justice and crime prevention in Ukraine.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) recommends "Kurve kriegen" as a best practice in the prevention of youth crime to its 57 member states. By combining policing with social work, the initiative is reducing youth crime by addressing social factors early, providing a support system to criminally endangered youth, and promoting reintegration rather than punishment alone.
For Ahmed, the program has been life-changing. After spending an afternoon with Lio by the Rhine, he expressed his gratitude, saying "Today was one of the best days of my life."
References: 1. www.kurve-kriegen.de 2. Elbers, K. (2025). "Kurve kriegen: Ein Beitrag zur Kriminalprävention in Nordrhein-Westfalen." (Kurve kriegen: A contribution to crime prevention in North Rhine-Westphalia.) Unpublished manuscript, Grafschafter Diakonie. 3. www.osce.org (2025). Best Practices in the Prevention of Youth Crime. Retrieved from www.osce.org/publications/best-practices-in-the-prevention-of-youth-crime
- The combination of policing and social work in the "Kurve kriegen" initiative, originally launched in 2011, extends its reach beyond crime prevention, also promoting health-and-wellness and mental-health in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- In an effort to broaden its scope, the "Kurve kriegen" initiative now includes education-and-self-development and fitness-and-exercise programs, focusing on holistic development for at-risk youth.
- General-news outlets have reported on the success of the "Kurve kriegen" initiative, highlighting its impact on reducing youth crime, but also its role in fostering a culture of sports, science, and health-and-wellness among North Rhine-Westphalia's at-risk youth.
- As the "Kurve kriegen" initiative continues to evolve, it seeks to address not just crime and justice, but also the broader social issues that contribute to juvenile delinquency, aiming for a more comprehensive and integrated approach to youth development in North Rhine-Westphalia.
