This book offers a comprehensive and critical account of the changes introduced into the UK youth justice system by the 1998 Crime and Disorder legislation, and its implications for youth justice managers and professionals. It identifies strategies for the practitioner that address the impact of crime, the social predicament of the young offender and the effectiveness of formal and informal mechanisms of social control and social support, thereby showing ways of coming to grips with one of the most serious problems besetting the poorest members of our society.

Dated December 2016. Print and web pdfs available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications Web ISBN=9781474134880

This topical, accessibly written book moves beyond established critiques to outline a model of positive youth justice: Children First, Offenders Second. Already in use in Wales, the proposed model promotes child-friendly, diversionary, inclusive, engaging, promotional practice and legitimate partnership between children and adults which can serve as a blueprint for other local authorities and countries. Setting out a progressive, positive and principled model of youth justice, the book will appeal to academics, students, practitioners and policy makers seeking to improve working practices and outcomes and will make an important contribution to the debate on youth justice policy.

Juvenile sex offender therapy has changed markedly since it emerged in the 1980s. Toolkit for Working with Juvenile Sex Offenders provides therapists with a summary of evidence-based practice with this population, including working with comorbid conditions and developmental disabilities. It provides tools for use in assessment, case formulation, and treatment, and includes forms, checklists, and exercises. The intended audience is practitioners engaged in the assessment and treatment of juveniles whose sexual interests and/or behaviors are statistically non-normative and/or problematic. Readers will find a chapter on academic assessment and intervention, a domain frequently not covered by texts in this field. - Identifies evidence-based treatment practice specifically for juveniles - Provides tools for assessment, case formulation, and treatment - Covers treatment in comorbid conditions or developmental disabilities - Contains forms, checklists, and client exercises for use in practice

Young Offenders provides one of the most in-depth studies of young males seeking, if often failing, to find a life beyond crime and punishment. Through rich interview data of young offenders over a ten year period, this book explores the complex personal and situational factors that promote and derail the desistance process.

This authoritative, highly readable reference and text is grounded in the latest knowledge on how antisocial and criminal behavior develops in youth and how it can effectively be treated. Contributors describe proven ways to reduce juvenile delinquency by targeting specific risk factors and strengthening young people's personal, family, and community resources. Thorough yet concise, the book reviews exemplary programs and discusses theoretical, empirical, and practical issues in assessment and intervention. It also provides best-practice recommendations for working with special populations: violent offenders; gang members; sexual offenders; youth with mental health, substance abuse, educational, and learning problems; and female offenders.

What should we do with teenagers who commit crimes? In this book, two leading scholars in law and adolescent development argue that juvenile justice should be grounded in the best available psychological science, which shows that adolescence is a distinctive state of cognitive and emotional development. Although adolescents are not children, they are also not fully responsible adults.