Every day, throughout the world, children come into conflict with law enforcement officials because they are alleged or accused of having committed a criminal offence. How these children are handled can have a profound impact on their future prospects, and may be determinative of whether they grow up to become productive citizens or fall into a life of crime. For this reason, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)1 requires States parties to develop specialised responses for dealing with children in conflict with the law that take into account their young age and are aimed at promoting their reintegration and development as productive citizens.