The Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility Internationally—History, Systems and the Future

The wide differences in the MACR between countries suggest under-use of evidence in deciding it. We need more governmental willingness to bring the MACR at least to the UN-recommended level-but accompanied by research into the impact of this. Efforts targeted exclusively on child and adolescent welfare may have less effect if they also force children through the criminal justice system, with consequent impact on self-identity and sense of citizenship. A low MACR is also likely to be more directly and indirectly costly than a higher one.

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Publication Details

Journal
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health
Published
2026-02-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/cbm.70024
Primary Topic
Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

The Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility Internationally—History, Systems and the Future

Fleur Souverein, Enys Delmage, Aaron Brown, E. Mulder et al.
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health
Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
article

The Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility Internationally—History, Systems and the Future

Fleur Souverein, Enys Delmage, Aaron Brown, E. Mulder, F. Thibaut, Sanne Oostermeijer, Philip W. Anderson, Mirian Susana Orlando, Sofia Enell, Diana Johns, Pamela J. Taylor, Aileen Blower, Ross Gibson, Heidi Hales, Maria João Leote de Carvalho, Riittakerttu Kaltiala, Ann Karina Henriksen, Mary Davoren, Thimo Martijn van der Pol
article en

Abstract

The wide differences in the MACR between countries suggest under-use of evidence in deciding it. We need more governmental willingness to bring the MACR at least to the UN-recommended level-but accompanied by research into the impact of this. Efforts targeted exclusively on child and adolescent welfare may have less effect if they also force children through the criminal justice system, with consequent impact on self-identity and sense of citizenship. A low MACR is also likely to be more directly and indirectly costly than a higher one.

Criminal Behaviour and Mental HealthVol. 36(1)
Inserm (FR), The University of Melbourne (AU), University of Strathclyde (GB), Université Paris Cité (FR), Linnaeus University (SE), Central Mental Hospital (IE), NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GB), Melbourne School of Theology (AU), University College Copenhagen (DK), Psychoanalytical Association (KZ), Mental Health Australia (AU), Amsterdam Neuroscience (NL), Tampere University Hospital (FI), Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (FR), Tampere University (FI), Institut Cochin (FR), Campo Arqueologico de Mertola (PT), Amsterdam University Medical Centers (NL), South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (GB), Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (NL), University of Otago (NZ), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (PT), University of Amsterdam (NL), Hologic (Germany) (DE), University of Wales (GB)
University of Otago, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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