Primary Prevention

Definition

Universal measures aimed at an entire population or community, delivered before any risk has been identified in a specific child.

Related terms

Developmental Prevention: Prevention timed to specific developmental stages, such as infancy, early childhood or the transition to adolescence, on the premise that risk factors...
Risk and Protective Factors: Measurable individual, family, peer, school and community conditions that longitudinal research links to a raised or lowered likelihood of offending.
Secondary Prevention: Targeted measures aimed at children already showing elevated risk factors or early problem behaviour, before formal offending begins.
Tertiary Prevention: Measures aimed at children who have already offended, intended to stop reoffending and support desistance.
Diversion: Handling a child's case outside formal judicial proceedings, for example through caution, mediation or community-based measures, so that the criminal process itself...
Diversion Programme: A scheme that redirects an alleged offender away from formal prosecution, typically for minor or first-time offending, into an alternative process such...
Early Intervention: Action taken as soon as elevated risk or early problem behaviour is identified, before it consolidates into a pattern of offending.

Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency
Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (Unit IX)Universal measures aimed at an entire population, delivered before any risk has been identified in a specific child.