Crime Prevention, Support or Punishment? Introducing an Ambiguous System of Youth Justice in Denmark.

The article focuses on Denmark's 2019 youth justice reform, which introduced a Youth Crime Board (YCB) and a Youth Probation Service (YPS) to respond more swiftly and intensively to children and youths aged 10–17 suspected or convicted of serious or repeated crimes. While the reform aims to enhance early crime prevention through diversion into child welfare services, it simultaneously increases punitive elements by subjecting children—including those under the minimum age of criminal responsibility—to court-like proceedings, mandatory improvement programmes, and intensive supervision. The YCB operates in a quasi-legal setting without full legal safeguards, and the YPS enforces compliance through frequent monitoring, affecting children's autonomy and everyday lives. The reform represents a shift toward a more punitive youth justice system in Denmark, blending welfare and control, and raises concerns about potential criminalization, limited legal protections, and alignment with international children's rights standards.