Victimisation and Delinquency of Minors in Central-European Countries

Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic are three former post-socialist countries that have a great deal in common, both from a historical and a socio-economic perspective, despite their considerable differences. There are also many similarities in how crime and criminality have changed in these countries over the past 30 years. For all their many shared attributes, however, there are visible differences in the criminality and victimisation of their youth. The Czech Republic seems to have the fewest juvenile issues, while Hungary has the highest level of crime in the region. Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic also differ in their juvenile justice systems and the ideology underpinning their response to juvenile offences.