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A parliamentary research commission in Türkiye has heard alarming testimony showing a sharp rise in crimes involving children, alongside growing levels of aggression, anger, and impulse control problems among minors.
Speaking before the commission, Professor Aliye Mavili of Anadolu University said child crime increased by 13% in 2025 compared with the previous year, while the total number of recorded offences rose from 178,000 in 2024 to more than 202,000 in 2025.
The commission was established by the Turkish Parliament to examine the causes and consequences of children being pushed into crime.
According to data shared with the commission, aggressive behavior has become widespread among children who come into contact with the criminal justice system.
Mavili said that 40% of children display serious aggression and anger, while 35% engage in threatening behavior, as reported by Türkiye Daily. Among children already pushed toward crime, 75% lack anger and impulse control and require support to regulate their behavior.
She told lawmakers that the issue cannot be reduced to individual misconduct alone.
“Children who are pushed into crime often lack impulse control and emotional regulation,” Mavili said, adding that these patterns reflect deeper structural problems rather than isolated incidents.
Mavili noted that risky behavior associated with crime in Türkiye often begins around the age of 13, while different countries set varying thresholds for criminal responsibility.
She pointed out that some countries define criminal responsibility as early as age 7, while others take a more protective approach. In Nordic welfare states such as Denmark, Finland, and Norway, criminal investigation and prosecution typically begin at age 16.
The comparison, she said, highlights how social welfare structures and early intervention policies shape outcomes for children.
Mavili emphasized that rising child crime stems from what she described as a “triple ecosystem” of individual, familial, and social factors that reinforce each other over time.
She warned that growing financial dependency between parents and children has created a serious risk area, particularly in households facing chronic poverty.
According to her assessment, key risk factors include disability, substance use, exposure to domestic violence, sociopathic personality traits, and having family members who are incarcerated or involved in criminal activity.
Family structure also plays a decisive role. Mavili said children are more likely to be pushed toward crime in households marked by overcrowding, parental substance addiction, unemployment, lack of supervision, and the breakdown of family unity.
“In families where violence exists and parental monitoring is weak, children’s vulnerability to crime increases significantly,” she told the commission.
The parliamentary research commission is expected to continue hearings with experts from different disciplines as lawmakers seek policy responses to what has been described as a growing social crisis involving children in Türkiye.
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