A recent report on youth violence reveals that 40 young people are murdered every day in Europe, with interpersonal violence being the third leading cause of death among people aged 10-29, accounting for 15,000 homicides annually. Young people from poorer backgrounds are more at risk than those who are better off, with 9 out of 10 homicide deaths in Europe occurring in low and middle income countries. However, young people are just as likely to be vulnerable to being victims of violence and crime as they are to being perpetrators.It must be acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of young people are law-abiding and throughout Europe, the ‘bad kids’ are often also the ‘sad kids’, people most in need of preventative diversionary programmes and support.Youth violence cannot solely be blamed on individuals as it is a product of biological, social, cultural and economic factors. Risk factors for youth violence and crime include a poor family environment, unstable relationships, social inequalities and deprivation, alcohol and drug misuse and societal attitudes to violence. As such, factors that can protect young people against violence include good social skills, higher self-esteem, academic achievement, strong bonds with parents, community involvement and access to social support. Evidence suggests that reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors will reduce violence; intervention at an early stage is likely to have a greater impact on offending behaviour and lifestyle if underlying problems are addressed.Measures to prevent crime and tackle persistent offending range from developing and implementing computerised crime reporting systems which predict trouble hotspots to smart citizenship education in schools. Dedicated youth justice teams, developmental activity projects and restorative justice may be found across Europe and much can be learned by sharing from experiences.This special international symposium offers a unique opportunity to identify the most effective youth crime prevention practices across Europe, monitor and measure the impact of partnership working, share good practice at local, national and international levels and ensure services are youth-centred. The symposium seeks to integrate the European knowledge in order to help shape a comprehensive EU-wide youth crime and violence prevention strategy.