Amsterdam starts specialized youth work for young people at risk of becoming involved in crime. In 2026, 3 pilots will begin in Nieuw-West, Noord, and Zuidoost. The goal is to identify problems early and prevent young people from sliding further. We want to support young people better than is currently possible with regular youth work.

The problem requires urgent attention. Approximately 1 in 15 Amsterdam youths aged 18 to 23 is at risk of becoming involved in drug-related crime. CBS figures show that youths aged 15 to 25 also have a relatively high chance of becoming victims of online crime. This group especially needs extra, specialized guidance.

Multiple problems at once

Alderman Sofyan Mbarki believes specialized youth work can make a difference. He sees youths with multiple problems simultaneously, such as tensions at home, problems at school, and street influence. By providing earlier and more targeted appropriate support, larger problems can be prevented.

More than regular youth work

Specialized youth work focuses on young people aged 16 to 23 who often grow up in families with complex problems. They often show problematic behavior at a young age. At home, at school, and in public spaces, offline and online. Research shows that part of these youths can be reached well, as long as they receive clear guidance and perspective in time.

These youths need more guidance than regular youth work can provide, but less than in heavier trajectories. This requires a personal approach, with fixed youth workers who are well trained and closely cooperate with partners in care, education, and safety.

City learning network as a basis

To organize this well, Amsterdam is starting a citywide learning network for specialized youth work. In this network, we collaborate with youth work organizations, city districts, and the Safety and Care Action Center on one clear approach.

Calm

Exploratory studies in Nieuw-West and Noord show there is great need for this. Youth workers who earn the trust of young people can prevent escalation and provide calm and perspective.

Pilots in 3 city districts

In 2026, 3 pilots will start: in Nieuw-West, Noord, and Zuidoost. Together with our partners, we determine how many specialized youth workers we will train. We only scale up where it demonstrably works, as a supplement to existing youth work, with room for customization per city district.

The ambition of the Municipality of Amsterdam is to train 15 to 20 specialized youth workers in 2026. A budget of € 725,000 is available for this.