This fall, Malmö City is introducing a new method to prevent young people from being drawn into crime, reports Sydsvenskan.
It's about catching children who exhibit norm-breaking behavior early on, says Kristina Loftsson, psychologist and one of the project leaders for the initiative, to the newspaper.
We know that interventions are most effective before the age of 12. After that, the results are much worse.
In a first pilot round, the focus will be on children between six and eleven years old who are assessed to be at risk of going astray.
The method is called "Snap" and has been used in Canada since 1985, focusing on improved impulse control and management of strong emotions, among other things.
According to Sydsvenskan, research from Canada shows that 74 percent of participants reduced their aggressive behavior. Absenteeism also decreased from 25 to 4 days per year.
Several children and teenagers have been arrested for serious crimes in Malmö in recent times.
