Based on an interview with Dr. Stefanos Alevizos, Psychologist and Scientific Lead of Connect to Protect – Children & Youth at Risk, published in Parapolitika (July 2026)

Recent incidents of serious youth violence have once again brought juvenile delinquency to the centre of public debate in Greece and internationally. The fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old boy in Kallithea, Athens, allegedly by another minor, alongside growing concerns around online exploitation and organised digital communities targeting young people, has raised important questions for families, professionals, and society.

However, beyond the understandable concern caused by such events, child protection experts emphasise the need for a careful, evidence-based discussion. The key question is not whether an entire generation of young people is “in crisis”, but what is changing in specific forms of violence – and how societies can respond before harm occurs.

Beyond the Narrative of a “Lost Generation”

Speaking to Parapolitika, Dr. Stefanos Alevizos, psychologist at IASIS NGO and Scientific Lead of the international conference Connect to Protect – Children & Youth at Risk, highlighted the importance of avoiding simplistic conclusions.

Available data do not suggest that young people are becoming more delinquent. In Greece, official police figures for the first months of 2026 show fewer overall arrests of minors compared with the same period in the previous year.

The change observed by professionals is mainly qualitative rather than quantitative: some incidents appear more intense, more visible, and more complex, often involving new social and digital dimensions.

This distinction is critical. According to Dr. Alevizos, society is not facing a “lost generation”. Such narratives risk stigmatising millions of young people who are not involved in violence and divert attention away from the real challenge: understanding the conditions that allow serious harmful behaviours to develop.

Youth Delinquency Has No Single Cause

Juvenile delinquency is not the result of one factor, one environment, or one moment. It is a complex phenomenon shaped by the interaction of multiple influences, including family relationships, school experiences, peer dynamics, social conditions, digital environments, and previous experiences of adversity.

Different forms of harmful behaviour also require different approaches. A violent conflict between adolescents, involvement in criminal networks, sexual violence, or online exploitation cannot be understood as one single phenomenon.

What many serious cases have in common, however, is that they rarely emerge suddenly. Behind the behaviour, there is often a longer pathway involving accumulated risks: exposure to violence, neglect, emotional difficulties, lack of supportive relationships, exclusion, negative peer influence, or contact with harmful online spaces.

A child’s harmful behaviour is therefore not only a justice issue. It is also a child protection issue.

The Digital Environment: A New Field of Risk and Protection

Digital spaces have transformed the way children communicate, build relationships, and experience the world. They have also changed how violence can be expressed, amplified, and reproduced.

Social media and online communities are not inherently harmful. They can provide connection, creativity, and belonging. At the same time, certain digital environments can intensify aggression, normalise harmful behaviours, and expose children to manipulation or exploitation.

The emergence of organised online communities that target minors illustrates a new challenge for child protection systems. The danger lies not only in exposure to harmful content but also in psychological pressure, grooming, coercion, and the creation of environments where children can become both victims and participants in harmful actions.

Yet technology alone does not create delinquency. Its impact depends on the wider ecosystem surrounding a child: family, school, friendships, community, and access to protective relationships.

For this reason, simple restrictions or bans are rarely sufficient. Prevention requires digital literacy, open communication, parental guidance, and safer online environments where children are protected without being pushed into hidden and less supervised spaces.

There Is No “Profile” of a Delinquent Child

One of the most persistent misconceptions is that society can identify a specific “type” of child who will become involved in delinquency. There is no such profile. Youth violence is not linked to one personality type or one background. It develops through the interaction of multiple personal, relational, and social factors. However, certain changes in behaviour may indicate that a young person needs support:

• sudden withdrawal or isolation;
• increased aggression or frequent conflicts;
• loss of interest in previously meaningful activities;
• abrupt changes in peer relationships;
• excessive secrecy around online activity.

These signs do not predict delinquency. They indicate that a child may be struggling and that adults should respond with attention, communication, and support.

One of the strongest protective factors remains a relationship of trust: adults who provide boundaries while ensuring that children feel safe enough to speak, ask for help, and express difficulties without fear of rejection.

Prevention Starts Before the Offence

Effective responses to youth delinquency cannot begin only after a serious incident occurs.

Prevention starts much earlier – in families that communicate, schools that recognise early signs of distress, communities that create opportunities for belonging, and services that can intervene before difficulties escalate.

Families play a central role in helping children develop emotional regulation, relationships, and boundaries. Schools are not only educational institutions but also critical environments where children’s social and emotional needs can be recognised.

Mental health and social services must also move beyond crisis response. Early support, family counselling, social-emotional development, and community-based interventions can reduce risk factors long before a young person enters the justice system.

Moving Beyond Punishment Alone

When serious incidents occur, public discussion often turns immediately toward stricter punishment.

Accountability is necessary, and serious offences require appropriate legal responses. However, international evidence consistently shows that punishment alone does not prevent youth offending when it is disconnected from prevention, rehabilitation, and support.

More effective systems are those that invest in:

• early identification of risk factors;
• support for children and families;
• stronger school-based prevention;
• accessible mental health services;
• community spaces where young people experience safety, participation, and belonging.

Preventing youth violence requires collaboration across justice, education, health, social services, local authorities, and civil society.

Prevention is not an alternative to safety. It is one of the strongest foundations of it.

Looking Behind the Act: “A Different Today”

Reflecting this approach, EPAPSY and IASIS are hosting a free screening of the film “A Different Today” (“Ένα άλλοσήμερα”) on Thursday, 9 July 2026, at the Anesis open-air cinema in Athens.

Produced by KINO.HIVE, the film explores the story of a young person growing up through experiences of violence, loss, and emotional disconnection, highlighting the pathways that can lead children toward harmful behaviours.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with mental health professionals and the film’s creators, creating space for dialogue around prevention, relationships, trauma, and social responsibility.

Such initiatives remind us that behind every act there is a pathway — and behind every pathway there are moments where connection, support, and intervention can change the outcome.

Youth delinquency does not appear in isolation. Understanding it means looking beyond the behaviour itself and asking what children experience, what they need, and how societies can act earlier to protect both young people and communities.

Source: Parapolitika, “Παραβατικότητα ανηλίκων: Τα στοιχεία της ΕΛ.ΑΣ. αποκαλύπτουν τη νέα πραγματικότητα”, Anna Emmei, 7 July 2026. – https://www.parapolitika.gr/ellada/article/1757759/paravatikotita-anilikon-ta-stoiheia-tis-elas-apokaluptoun-ti-nea-pragmatikotita-giati-i-via-ginetai-pio-skliri-o-dr-stefanos-alevizos-exigei/