Declaration of the 30th German Crime Prevention Congress

‘Prevention and social peace’ is the main theme of the German Prevention Day in its anniversary year. In a time of growing social tensions and global uncertainties, promoting prevention and social peace is a fundamental obligation of all responsible institutions, organisations and individuals. Peaceful social coexistence requires more than the absence of war. It requires social justice, the rule of law, opportunities for participation, minority rights, and constructive ways of resolving conflicts. Without this foundation, peace remains fragile.

However, the term ‘social peace’ does not only refer to these preconditions, but also points to responsibilities. In addition to the state and its institutions, a wide range of social actors also contribute to this. Prevention that supports and promotes social peace takes place in anti-discrimination work, in counteracting structural, physical and psychological violence and social inequality, in dealing with media reporting and in counteracting disinformation, conspiracy theories and hate speech. Prevention in the context of social peace counters tendencies towards polarisation. It works towards constructive conflict resolution, creates processes of diverse participation, especially at the local level, and initiates places of cohesion and integration. Successful prevention addresses the concerns and fears of different social groups, takes them seriously and deals with their causes in a fact-based, cooperative and solution-oriented manner. In this way, trust in constitutional democracy can be promoted.

The German Prevention Congress considers itself a platform for exchanging experiences, strategies and innovations to strengthen prevention and social peace. Together, we want to take responsibility for a more peaceful, just and resilient society. Because peace is not a state of being, but a shared ongoing task. In light of the current wars and diverse global crises, the German Prevention Congress and its permanent event partners formulate guiding thoughts and urgent political demands. These are based on the scientific expertise of the accompanying publication on the main topic of the congress and the discussions held during the 30th German Prevention Day in Augsburg.

The diverse subtopics related to this fundamental focus topic draw on findings from various scientific disciplines, in particular political science, sociology, psychology and criminology. A multidisciplinary approach to the topic is an opportunity to grasp current social developments and generate solutions and approaches for prevention.

• Constructive conflict management
  Peace research understands peace not as a utopia, but as a social process. Dealing with conflicts is the central element in this process. This involves recognising the conflicts that inevitably exist in a free society, discussing them and resolving them. Constructive conflict management ensures that conflicts do not escalate when opposing views, contradictions and differences arise. The aim is to communicate despite differences and to make efforts to achieve mutual understanding. The primary aim of preventive measures should therefore not be to avoid conflicts, but to create the basic conditions for successful conflict resolution. Mediation methods and principles can also play a decisive role here and should be strengthened at all levels, including in public administration. An understanding that conflicts can always point to important circumstances and thus also offer a powerful opportunity for constructive resolution and change should be promoted.
• Opportunities for participation
  Key concepts for peaceful conflict resolution are integration and participation. Only through meaningful participation can different interests be articulated and exchanged, and possible solutions found. Social peace is sustained by adherence to shared social norms and rules. Opportunities for participation are an essential component and incentive for people to see themselves as part of society and to get involved. Local authorities are key stakeholders, as they play a key role in shaping people's everyday lives. Public spaces are often an area of conflict where different interests collide. This makes it all the more important to offer young people, in particular, convincing and serious opportunities to participate in shaping their own lives so that they can realise their potential for active social participation. Active participation in social decisions strengthens acceptance of common norms. Participation thus becomes the key to social cohesion.   
• Civil society alliances
  Civil society alliances are important for jointly advancing social concerns that go beyond the capabilities of individuals. These alliances are associations of organisations, groups and often individuals from civil society, such as associations, initiatives, churches, trade unions, federations or academia. By joining forces and voices to influence political decisions, publicise grievances or initiate social change, they promote participation, diversity of opinion and democratic debate. They offer people the opportunity to become actively involved in social issues beyond state institutions, and thus strengthen feelings of solidarity and mutual support. In short, civil society alliances are the driving force behind the promotion of social justice, peace and sustainability. Social integration and social cohesion must be strengthened, particularly through local cooperation between politicians and committed citizens. This is evident, for example, in the context of refugees and migration, where civil society alliances have made a decisive contribution to social peace in some municipalities. The effect is particularly clear when comparing municipalities without such alliances. Dealing with migration is therefore not only shaped by broad socio-political debates, but is also decided at the local level, depending on what spaces for encounter are created.
• Fact-based public discourse
  The spread of disinformation and conspiracy myths, as well as hate speech, especially through the exploitation of fears related to crises and wars, promotes social division. The very specific way in which a firmly held belief in conspiracy theories changes people's view of the world can ultimately lead to them becoming an increasing risk factor, not only for themselves but also for society as a whole. Such beliefs not only act as extremely effective accelerators of radicalisation, but are in some cases even exploited by individual political actors for this very purpose. People who are already deeply immersed in conspiracy-ideological thought patterns are unlikely to be brought back into democratic discourse by fact-checking. Prevention is more sustainable and effective than intervention at a later stage, especially when it comes to this issue. • Balanced crime reporting Media reporting is not only important in countering disinformation and conspiracy beliefs, but also has a powerful impact when it comes to addressing crime-related issues. Crime and the sense of security also act as indicators of how well the state and society are perceived to be functioning. People's views on crime are significantly influenced by their media consumption. In this respect, it is serious when crime is portrayed in a grossly distorted manner. Unbalanced reporting fuels fear, mistrust and prejudice. In addition to overestimating the extent of serious violent crime, young people (children, adolescents and young adults) and migrants who are suspected of crimes are disproportionately targeted by journalistic reporting. On the one hand, this has an impact on the groups mentioned, while on the other hand, other crime phenomena are ignored. The media contribute to social peace when they are aware of their responsibility and report in a differentiated, objective manner and in accordance with ethical standards of journalism. They protect personal rights and avoid stereotypes.
• Prevention of hate crime
  For years, prejudice-motivated crimes, also known as hate crimes, have been on the rise in Germany. These crimes are directed against victims on the basis of identity-defining characteristics such as skin colour, faith, origin or sexual identity. They not only affect those directly involved, but also send a ‘message’ to everyone who belongs to the social group in question. With the increasing importance of social media, young people in particular are exposed to considerable dangers from hate speech, which, contrary to what the German translation ‘Hassrede’ suggests, is not only a form of verbal expression. However, prejudice-motivated crime not only fuels fear and uncertainty, but also encourages further attacks and incites other perpetrators to commit similar acts. This makes it a serious threat to social peace.
• Discrimination-sensitive law enforcement
  Discrimination-sensitive law enforcement means that the police, public prosecutors and the judiciary actively ensure that all people are treated equally and counteract any structural discrimination, whether intentional or unintentional. It requires an awareness of social power relations, intercultural competence, fair procedures and the special protection of marginalised groups. Trust in the rule of law depends, among other things, on all people feeling that they are treated fairly. Law enforcement that does not take discrimination seriously or reproduces it loses its legitimacy. However, social inequality is also evident in the criminal justice system. People affected by poverty or other disadvantages are more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system. Social inequality can be found in the criminalisation of specific acts, in police control activities and judicial proceedings, which is why certain people are more affected by this. One of the reasons why people living in poverty are more likely to be convicted is that they have less power to complain and are less likely to seek legal assistance. This is just one aspect of structural inequality that hurts social peace. In the context of social peace, the prevention landscape is a complex structure that goes far beyond individual measures. It encompasses the conscious sensitisation and active involvement of civil society, state institutions and media professionals. At the same time, effective prevention requires sustainable financial support for a wide range of programmes and initiatives, including structural adjustments that go beyond mere symbolic politics, for example, through legislative changes.

Augsburg, 23 June 2025