Abstract
Background: Halt (acronym for ‘The Alternative’ in Dutch) is the most widely used youth justice diversion measure for juveniles (12 up to and including 17 year olds) in the Netherlands. Therefore, it fits well with international children’s rights. Halt gives juveniles the opportunity to learn from their mistake and avoid a criminal record. The goal of Halt is to reduce recidivism by working on several subgoals. These subgoals consist of cognitive behavioral mechanisms, such as improving social skills and enhancing feelings of responsibility for (delinquent) behavior in order to enhance moral beliefs. However, to date, little is known about the effectiveness regarding recidivism and the subgoals of Halt. The aim of the current study is to determine the effectiveness of the Dutch diversion measure Halt. Methods: A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is conducted among 1,300 juveniles who are referred to Halt after committing a minor offence. They are randomized into the Halt condition, or into the control group with no further intervention. Self-report data on primary (delinquency) and secondary goals (subgoals of Halt, e.g., social skills) are collected at three points in time: after referral to Halt (T0), 100 days later (T1) and one year after the referral to Halt (T2). At T1 experienced compliance with children’s rights is also measured, given the importance of insight in the relation between compliance with children’s rights and the effectiveness of this diversionary measure. Several scales are used to conceptualize children’s rights aspects, such as the right to be heard and the right to legal assistance. To establish program integrity, Halt-employees fill out a questionnaire at T1. After two years, police and judiciary records are analyzed (T3). Characteristics of the participants, the employees and the execution of Halt are investigated as moderators. Discussion: The results contribute to the limited knowledge about the effectiveness of diversion programs in general and Dutch juvenile justice more specifically. This knowledge adds to an evidence-based practice of criminal justice diversion in the Netherlands. Trail registration: ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT06353204, retrospectively registered on April 4th, 2024.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 819 |
| Journal | BMC psychology |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 23 Jul 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s) 2025.
Funding
This research is funded by the Ministry of Justice and Security, The Netherlands. The funder has no role in the conceptualization, design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. The protocol of this study has not undergone independent peer review from the major funding body. The WODC is the knowledge center in the field of the Ministry of Justice and Security and conducts independent scientific research for policy and implementation purposes. For each research project, including the current study, conducted at the WODC a scientific advisory committee is appointed with the task to enhance the scientific quality of research and guarantee independent and objective performing and reporting of the research.
Keywords
- Children’s rights
- Diversion
- Effectiveness
- Halt
- Randomized controlled trial
- Recidivism