This powerful critique of youth justice based on lived experience, theory and practice looks at the topic through a refreshing new lens, suggesting that some existing ways of dealing with children and young people may do more harm than good. After making readers aware of Risk Relation Paradox, the author shows that positive outcomes cannot be imposed or directed but that they can stem from ‘presence, attunement, connection and trust’ (PACT). Then priority should be given to buffering the impact of familiar but questionable relationships in a youngster’s own ‘village’ that may have led to toxic stress, complex trauma, criminal or anti-authority attitudes and other adverse childhood experiences. In arguing for change, Andi Brierley brings his extensive experience on both sides of the justice fence as prisoner and professional to bear — and whilst he champions the engagement skills of others who have travelled a similar journey, he also explains how the approach can be used by anyone. Reviews ‘This important and engaging text will be of great value to those working within the youth justice sector and educators alike… Andi Brierley crafts a new framework that facilitates pathways to positive outcomes. And offers a rich and insightful account of the key components of effective relationship-based practice.’-- Dr Sean Creaney, Edge Hill University, UK. ‘This book sits at the intersection between personal lived experience and professional practice and … makes it a hugely valuable contribution to the discourse … Brierley not only contextually articulates his experiences but seeks to provide a new framework through which youth justice can effect change.’-- Lisa Cherry (From the Foreword). Author Andrew Brierley is a Youth Justice Specialist with 15 years of experience working with the most prolific, serious, vulnerable and complex youngsters involved in offending behaviour. He is the author of Your Honour Can I Tell You My Story? (Waterside Press, 2019) which made a difference for other incarcerated young people and professionals working with young people in trouble concerning the relational issues many such children experience — and how they bounce back.

The challenging story of a young person’s progress through care, prison and social rejection to youth justice specialist. It charts failures to connect with and modify the author’s chaotic early life moving from place to place, school to school, fragmented parenting and poor role models. Encircled by crime, drugs and baffling adults, Andi Brierley ended up first in a young offender institution then prison where he learned to think like a prisoner for his own survival, making everything harder for everybody on release. Until he determined to change and others saw his unenviable past could be put to good use. Shows how small things can make a difference. Contains many insights for professionals, students and others interested in young people in trouble. An addition to Waterside’s acclaimed turn around stories, including Alan Weaver’s So You Think You Know Me?, Ben Ashcroft’s Fifty-one Moves and Justin Rollins’ The Lost Boyz. Reviews 'Wow!! I didn’t put it down once I started reading!'-- Lynda Marginson CBE, Director - National Probation Service (NE). ‘Andi's compelling story shows why we should never give up on the capacity of people to change’-- Jim Hopkinson, Bradford Children’s Services. Your Honour Can I Tell You My Story has been chosen for the Probation Insights Week 2019 Big Read. As featured in the Yorkshire Post. Contents Foreword; Introduction; Who Am I?; Party Time; Shunted Back and Forth; Bilston; A Life of Crime; The Drugs Chain; Grafting; A Taste of Custody; Cyclops and Other Fine Friends; Harehills; Work and an Evening at Elland Road; Doncaster; Deerbolt; Clubbing the Night Away; Addiction; Here We Go Again!; Sportsperson; Release; Youth Justice Volunteer; Golden Opportunity; The Professionals; ‘Me, promotion?’; Back to My Youth Justice Roots; Postscript.

Young adulthood - ages approximately 18 to 26 - is a critical period of development with long-lasting implications for a person's economic security, health and well-being. Young adults are key contributors to the nation's workforce and military services and, since many are parents, to the healthy development of the next generation. Although 'millennials' have received attention in the popular media in recent years, young adults are too rarely treated as a distinct population in policy, programs, and research. Instead, they are often grouped with adolescents or, more often, with all adults. Currently, the nation is experiencing economic restructuring, widening inequality, a rapidly rising ratio of older adults, and an increasingly diverse population. The possible transformative effects of these features make focus on young adults especially important. A systematic approach to understanding and responding to the unique circumstances and needs of today's young adults can help to pave the way to a more productive and equitable tomorrow for young adults in particular and our society at large. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults describes what is meant by the term young adulthood, who young adults are, what they are doing, and what they need. This study recommends actions that nonprofit programs and federal, state, and local agencies can take to help young adults make a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood. According to this report, young adults should be considered as a separate group from adolescents and older adults. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults makes the case that increased efforts to improve high school and college graduate rates and education and workforce development systems that are more closely tied to high-demand economic sectors will help this age group achieve greater opportunity and success. The report also discusses the health status of young adults and makes recommendations to develop evidence-based practices for young adults for medical and behavioral health, including preventions. What happens during the young adult years has profound implications for the rest of the life course, and the stability and progress of society at large depends on how any cohort of young adults fares as a whole. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults will provide a roadmap to improving outcomes for this age group as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.

After more than three decades of helping professionals work with some of the most challenging children, the LSCI Institute now adapts its brain-based, trauma-informed, kid-centered approach to the unique needs of parents and caregivers. Parenting the Challenging Child: The 4-Step Way to Turn Problem Situations Into Learning Opportunities provides readers with:Specific skills for building more positive relationships with kidsProven strategies for de-escalating stressful situationsA reliable 4-step framework for turning common problem situations into lasting learning opportunitiesAfter reading this solution-focused book, you will be equipped with new skills to identify and change six problematic patterns of behavior in young people. Even more importantly, you will learn about yourself and how simple changes in the way you interact with your loved ones during a problem situation can significantly improve your relationship and their future behaviors.

An illuminating study of the complex relationship between children and media in the digital age Now, as never before, young people are surrounded by media—thanks to the sophistication and portability of the technology that puts it literally in the palms of their hands. Drawing on data and empirical research that cross many fields and continents, authors Valkenburg and Piotrowski examine the role of media in the lives of children from birth through adolescence, addressing the complex issues of how media affect the young and what adults can do to encourage responsible use in an age of selfies, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This important study looks at both the sunny and the dark side of media use by today’s youth, including why and how their preferences change throughout childhood, whether digital gaming is harmful or helpful, the effects of placing tablets and smartphones in the hands of toddlers, the susceptibility of young people to online advertising, the legitimacy of parental concerns about media multitasking, and more.

Includes practical suggestions, personal experiences, and best practices for engaging young adults in library services, covering such topics as customer service, information literacy, collections, and outreach.