Youth justice in practice

Making a difference

Whyte, Bill

• Publisher: Policy Press
• Year: 2008
• eBook ISBN: 9781447342663
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social Work
• Index: Social Sciences

This book examines youth justice in a UK and international context, while drawing on the author's experience in Scotland to highlight the challenge facing all jurisdictions in balancing welfare and justice. It explores the impact of political ideas and influences on both the structural and practical challenges of delivering youth justice and practice initiatives including early intervention, restorative justice, structured risk assessments, intensive supervision, maintaining change over time, and practice evaluation. The theoretical framework draws on social learning theory and the tradition of socio-education/social pedagogy as reflected in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This is the only book to focus specifically on the application of evidence to service delivery within youth justice. It will be an essential text for social work students undertaking university-based modules or practice-based learning in services which address youth crime and youth justice, as well as other students interested in the application of criminology and youth justice principles. It will also be valuable for practitioners involved in delivering youth justice services, including those on post-qualifying social work training courses.

Table of contents

• Youth justice in practice
• Contents
• List of tables and figures
• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• 1. Introduction: youth justice in the UK and Europe
• 2. Children, young people and crime
• 3. Directing principles of effective practice
• 4. Assessing needs and risks
• 5. Early intervention and restorative practice
• 6. Effective responses to reducing youth crime
• 7. Intensive intervention
• 8. Maintaining and evaluating the change
• 9. Towards integrated community justice and welfare
• References
• Index