Young unemployed persons are a prioritised group in active labour market programmes. Such programmes can be regarded as "integrative", facilitating integration into the labour market for young people in accordance with their own preferences. However, such programmes can also be regarded as "defensive", discouraging young unemployed persons from claiming transfer incomes and urging them to lower their sights when looking for jobs. The article examines the conceptions of the young participants themselves, analysing whether activation programmes are experienced in ways endorsing the integrative or the defensive perspective across different European welfare states. Survey data from these countries indicate that activation programmes for youth are at the integrative end of the spectrum. This is especially the case in the universal welfare regime countries, which are also the group of countries in which youth activation schemes are most widespread. Participant's scheme evaluations are least favourable in Scotland, in line with expectations of a liberal welfare regime approach. Most conservative welfare regime countries fall in between. (Contains 2 figures, 3 tables and 9 notes.)