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.