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.

About the Author
Bill Whyte is Professor of Social Work Studies in Criminal and Youth Justice at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the Criminal Justice Social Work Development Centre for Scotland, University of Edinburgh.

Reviews
"This book provides an excellent overview for those students interested in this area. It could therefore prove a useful text across a number of disciplines, including social policy, psychology, social welfare, criminology or social work. It particularly attracts those students with a developed skill of critical analysis. I was particularly impressed by the way in which young people were firmly discussed within the realm of children's services, coupled with sociological and psychological discourses to 'unpick' the complexities of predicting offending behaviour and responding to it." Kay Wall in Social Policy & Social Work, 2009
"All those working in or interested in youth justice should ensure they read this book." Dr Steve Rogowski in Professional Social Work June 2009
"This well-written and well-researched volume provides a framework for youth justice practice that is currently lacking. The holistic approach advocated provides a refreshing perspective in the context of increasingly neo-correctionalist policy developments." Gill McIvor, Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, University of Stirling



Book Information
ISBN 9781861348395
Author Bill Whyte
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Policy Press
Publisher Policy Press