Involvement of minors in the criminal environment as a criminal legal category: questions of theory and practice

The article examines the category of involvement of minors in the criminal environment within the framework of the criminal law analysis of Article 150 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Statistical data reflecting the dynamics of juvenile delinquency over the period from 2019 to 2023, as well as the number of serious and especially serious crimes committed by them, are presented in order to trace the impact of involving minors in the criminal environment on the possibility of subsequent commission by these persons of a single or group crime in the future. In addition, the main legislative and practical omissions related to the insufficient regulation of the mechanism for involving minors in criminal activity are outlined. The list of possible ways of such involvement of adolescents by adults has been supplemented. The main ways of preventive and preventive work in this area are also formulated in order to reduce and prevent the development of this negative phenomenon. Special attention is paid to the issue of the expediency of using the concept of “minor” in the context of Article 150 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The main analysis of the study is associated with the need to identify a causal relationship between the involvement of a minor in a criminal environment and the subsequent increase in the total proportion of crimes committed by minors independently or in a group. In conclusion, the author concludes that it is necessary to improve legislation and law enforcement practice in order to reduce the overall level of involvement of minors in the criminal environment, as well as to develop more effective preventive measures.