'It's a Hard Balance to Find': The Perspectives of Youth Justice Practitioners in England on the Place of 'Risk' in an Emerging 'Child-First' World

In recent years, there has been a shift in youth justice central policy narratives in England and Wales away from risk assessment and management and towards child first. However, this shift is meeting with a number of challenges on the ground. The reasons for this have been conceptualised as resistance and reticence, contradiction and bifurcation and confusion about competing narratives emerging from different UK government departments about how to meet the statutory requirement to 'prevent' youth offending. The article emphasises the importance of meaningfully engaging with youth justice practitioners in debates about how to meet this challenge.

Automated summary

In recent years, there has been a shift in the central policy narratives of youth justice in England and Wales towards prioritizing the needs of children. However, this shift is facing challenges on the ground, including resistance, contradiction, and confusion about how to prevent youth offending as outlined by different government departments. This article emphasizes the importance of engaging youth justice practitioners in meaningful debates to address these challenges.