Clinical Approaches to Working with Young Offenders

Clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and nurses working with young offenders will welcome this collection of original chapters which represent the state of the art in this field. Although it is increasingly recognized that the treatment of offenders has an important role in the rehabilitation process, a clinical approach to working with offenders has to be grounded in sound theory, good supporting research evidence and solid experience. This volume continues the tradition of this important series by placing the discussion of best practice with offenders within both a rigorous scientific context and its institutional and social environment. The first part of the book examines the conceptual basis of a clinical approach to working with young offenders, together with research on the developmental aspects of delinquency, as well as the empirical evidence of work to reduce reoffending. The second section deals with the institutional context of treatment and interventions designed to divert young offenders away from the criminal justice system. The third and fourth parts, the core of the book, present reviews of important approaches to treating young offenders, alongside accounts of work with specific types of offence, including substance abuse and sex offences. Throughout the book the concern is to demonstrate the link between empirical evidence and research and the growth of good theory and practice. The overall message is that a clinical approach can pay real dividends in working constructively with even the most demanding of young people who commit serious crimes.