A Rational Youth Justice? Some Critical Reflections On The Research, Policy And Practice Relation

Goldson, Barry

doi:10.1177/026455050104800202

Cited by 24 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Similarly, researchers cannot tell policy-makers/practitioners what the best course of action to take is because the notion of a 'best course of action' is value laden and dependent upon assumptions about shared belief systems and shared objectives. This is not to say that researchers cannot usefully contribute to such debates, but it is important to put research into perspective, just as it is important to keep in mind that policy is rarely objectively rational, either in its conception or in its execution (Goldson, 2001).…”

Section: Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

A Risky Business? Research, Policy, Governmentality and Youth Offending

Armstrong

2004

Youth Justice

151

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Media hyperbole about children and crime, along with electoral politics, may well reflect a configuration of personal anxieties, competing social values and public policy options. In this article, I will argue that it is a configuration that represents a crisis of governance far more than a crisis of 'youth'. However, the research community is far from blameless in the propagation of 'myths' about children and crime and has shown itself to be far too willing to become yet another mechanism of governmentality rather than maintaining critical distance from the administrative policies of the state and thereby contributing to a wider public debate on policy. This article is divided into four parts. First, it will briefly review recent trends in youth offending and consider the contradiction that seems to be exposed between offending rates and criminal justice policies. Second, it will explore how research on young people and 'risk' has contributed to the growth of a crime prevention industry focused on children, the construction of deviance and early intervention policies. Third, this dominant 'risk factor' paradigm is critiqued, along with the discourses of crime that are implicit within it. Finally, an alternative approach to researching children and 'risk' is proposed.

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Section: Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

A Risky Business? Research, Policy, Governmentality and Youth Offending

Armstrong

2004

Youth Justice

151

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“…Now however, minimising risk by effectively addressing offending is emerging to compete for political and professional attention in youth justice (Goldson, 2001) as in the penal realm more generally (Garland, 2001). The Report endeavours to balance these sometimes competing priorities:…”

Section: It's a Criminal Waste: Stop Youth Crime Now: The Report Of Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chaos, Containment and Change: Responding to Persistent Offending by Young People

Batchelor

McNeill²

2002

Youth Justice

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This article reviews policy developments in Scotland concerning 'persistent young offenders' and then describes the design of a study intended to assist a local planning group in developing its response. The key findings of a review of casefiles of young people involved in persistent offending are reported. It emerges that youth crime and young people involved in offending are more complex and heterogeneous than is sometimes assumed. This, along with a review of some literature about desistance from offending, re-affirms the need for properly individualised interventions. Studies of 'desisters' suggest the centrality of effective and engaging working relationships in this process. However, these studies also re-assert the significance of the social contexts of workers' efforts to bring 'change' out of 'chaos'.We conclude therefore that the 'new correctionalism' must be tempered with appreciation of the social exclusion of young people who offend.

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“…Today, early interventions form an important part of New Labour's 'tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime' agenda (Goldson 2001). At the heart of New Labour's strategy for the Welfare State, the 'Sure Start' programme, highlighting a social welfare approach focuses on pre-school children and their families in some of the most socio-economically deprived neighbourhoods in Britain (Hayden 2007).…”

Section: A Note On Cross-national Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘School violence’ as a social problem: charting the rise of the problem and the emerging specialist field

Brown

Munn

2008

International Studies in Sociology of Education

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In the past 10 years, violence taking place in schools has entered both popular and academic discourse. Frequently, the term 'school violence' is used as a catch-all concept to refer to disorder and disruption in schools, as well as the unruliness of contemporary youth. This is apparent not only in the North American context, but in highly politicised debates regarding standards of pupil behaviour in countries across Europe. A related and significant development is the emergence of the study of violence in schools as a specialist area of enquiry. Drawing on sociological theories of the emergence of social problems, and social constructionist approaches in particular, this paper addresses the rising concern with 'school violence' as a social phenomenon. First it addresses the rise of the problem, emphasising connections with wider agendas, particularly anxieties about dangerous youth. The role of the media and academics is also considered. Moreover, this paper explores the emergence of the specialist field and related debates about meaning. It is argued that the present disquiet about 'school violence' requires to be understood in the context of modernity and accompanying concerns about social cohesion.

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A Rational Youth Justice? Some Critical Reflections On The Research, Policy And Practice Relation

Cited by 24 publications

References 6 publications

A Risky Business? Research, Policy, Governmentality and Youth Offending

A Risky Business? Research, Policy, Governmentality and Youth Offending

Chaos, Containment and Change: Responding to Persistent Offending by Young People

‘School violence’ as a social problem: charting the rise of the problem and the emerging specialist field

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