It is important to note that in Switzerland, youths can be placed in welfare and juvenile justice institutions because of: delinquent behavior (criminal law measure),
youth welfare reasons (civil law measure, e.g., maltreatment, parental psychopathology, prostitution and drug abuse) or other reasons (e.g., their own or parents» choice).
Most unaccompanied
youth are unable to access safe housing or shelter, for a combination of
reasons, including: being too young to consent for services without a parent; fear of child
welfare involvement; and the lack of services overall: more than half of those who seek shelter can not access it because shelters are full.