Identifying and exploring the challenges in understanding and responding to youth crime, this book investigates the different contexts which contribute to youth offending as well as those which either help or hinder effective youth justice responses to it.

Supporting readers to evaluate traditional understandings and responses to youth offending, this critical, evidence-based text engages with a variety of international case studies and includes a number of different features and learning aids, including:

• 'Practice Point' discussions of key elements in the text, exploring how they are applied in practice in the 'real world'

• 'Telling it like it is' boxes, offering personal insights and experiences to help bring the content to life

• 'Conversations' focusing on key areas from different perspectives, including academics, politicians, policy-makers, practitioners, the media, and individuals with direct experience of the criminal justice system;

• 'New Frontiers' boxes, providing further explanation of more complex theories or debates

• 'What do you think?' question prompts, encouraging readers to engage critically with the content.

Delving into theoretical, conceptual, empirical, policy and practice issues, Youth Offending in Context will be of great value to students of youth justice, youth offending, youth crime, crime prevention, and criminal justice.