Youth Recruitment into Organized Crime and Illicit Markets: Local Responses across the Americas and Europe

Youth recruitment into organized crime and illicit markets has intensified in several cities around the globe, with minors increasingly being used by groups to avoid detection and prosecution. Criminal organizations capitalize on the lack of opportunities and contexts of high vulnerability, and tailor their strategies to the urban environment and illicit markets. They may provide economic alternatives, social status and a sense of belonging to many disenfranchised youth, while others are forced into joining these groups because of their life circumstances or environments they live in. In general, social media and the internet have also allowed for the expansion of recruitment strategies.

The recruitment and exploitation has deep and lasting consequences. It links youth to many other forms of violence, and not only harms these targeted youth people themselves, but helps to perpetuate cycles of violence in entire communities. 

• How can cities and communities prevent young people from being drawn into those activities? 
• What are the main risks of youth engagement in organized crime and illicit crimes in different regions today? 

The Peace in Our Citieis Initiative (PiOC) is hosting the webinar in partnership with the European Forum on Urban Safety. This webinar will bring together local actors and city representatives from Europe, Latin America, and North America to share concrete experiences, challenges, and solutions to build youth resilience, create opportunities and prevent young people from being drawn into organised crime and illicit markets. PiOC members from Edmonton, Canada, and Bogota, Colombia, will be sharing their experiences. 

The webinar will take place on October 16, 2025
10:00 a.m. (GMT-4/New York) | 11:00 a.m. (GMT-3/Argentina) | 9:00 a.m. (GMT-5/Colombia) | 4:00 p.m. (GMT+2/Paris)

Get more information and register