„Know Your Enemy“ – Competing Understandings of Prevention among Professionals in the Field of Juvenile Delinquency

Abstract

The ongoing expansion of crime prevention programs in the field of youth crime has been a focal point of criminological debates for many years. Yet, there are only a few studies that focus on the guiding principles, understandings, and perceptions of crime, delinquency, and prevention by practitioners of crime prevention themselves. To tackle this gap in research literature this article presents the results of 24 qualitative interviews with crime prevention professionals in Germany. The results suggest that prevention is a heterogeneous and complex practice that is nonetheless strongly influenced by societal processes of securitization.