Advancing Child-Friendly Justice in Greece’s Strategy for Preventing and Addressing Juvenile Delinquency

• In Event: Securing a Seat at the Policy Table: Advancing Criminology’s Impact on Decision-Making

Abstract

Ensuring child-friendly justice is essential for an effective juvenile delinquency prevention strategy, balancing accountability with rehabilitation and protection. This presentation explores the development of Greece’s policy on the prevention and confrontation of juvenile delinquency, emphasizing how empirical research and the expertise of professionals have shaped a justice system that is child-centered, evidence-based, and rights-focused.
The policy framework is built on criminological research, legal analysis, and insights from professionals in law enforcement, the judiciary, social services, and child protection. Through focus groups and interdisciplinary consultations, the strategy identifies key factors influencing youth offending and systemic gaps in Greece’s juvenile justice system. Central to the approach is the promotion of child-friendly justice, ensuring that legal and social responses to juvenile delinquency prioritize the best interests of the child, restorative justice approaches, community-based alternatives to detention, and tailored support for at-risk youth and their families.
This presentation will also examine the challenges of translating research into policy, including political constraints and institutional resistance. By bridging scientific evidence with frontline expertise, the session will highlight best practices for designing and implementing child-friendly, evidence-based juvenile justice policies that promote prevention, rehabilitation, and social inclusion.

Author

• Paris Zagoura, PANTEION UNIVERSITY, Sociology Department