"Youth Offending in Transition: The search for social recognition "Monica Barry Drug-taking, weapon-wielding gangs of youths in hoodies - youth offending is an enduring, albeit misleading, preoccupation of media and government. But how can we better understand the choices and constraints that young offenders really face? This book takes a new approach to youth crime by arguing that the transition from childhood to adulthood can be an isolating and disempowering experience for young people. Children and young people are inherently vulnerable because of their age and status - they are a minority group, with the potential for being exploited, discriminated against, dominated and disrespected by adults. "Youth Offending in Transition "explores how their treatment by adult society may lead young people to resort to crime as a means of gaining respect and kudos from their peers. Using concepts of capital and the narratives of young offenders themselves, this book is based on original researchinto the reasons why young people start and stop offending. It discusses the following topics: criminal theory and the significance of youth transitions to the "age-crime curve" social identity and reputation amongst young people social inequalities and their influence on youth transitions the criminalization and discrimination of young people by adults the importance of social recognition in reducing offending "Youth Offending in Transition "is an invaluable resource for students, academics and professionals working in criminology, youth justice, social policy, youth policy and social work.

"Youth Offending in Transition: The search for social recognition "Monica Barry Drug-taking, weapon-wielding gangs of youths in hoodies - youth offending is an enduring, albeit misleading, preoccupation of media and government. But how can we better understand the choices and constraints that young offenders really face? This book takes a new approach to youth crime by arguing that the transition from childhood to adulthood can be an isolating and disempowering experience for young people. Children and young people are inherently vulnerable because of their age and status - they are a minority group, with the potential for being exploited, discriminated against, dominated and disrespected by adults. "Youth Offending in Transition "explores how their treatment by adult society may lead young people to resort to crime as a means of gaining respect and kudos from their peers. Using concepts of capital and the narratives of young offenders themselves, this book is based on original researchinto the reasons why young people start and stop offending. It discusses the following topics: criminal theory and the significance of youth transitions to the "age-crime curve" social identity and reputation amongst young people social inequalities and their influence on youth transitions the criminalization and discrimination of young people by adults the importance of social recognition in reducing offending "Youth Offending in Transition "is an invaluable resource for students, academics and professionals working in criminology, youth justice, social policy, youth policy and social work.

Are socially excluded young people becoming an 'underclass', expecting everything but doing nothing to help themselves? Or are adults the problem - ignoring and exacerbating the real issues facing young people today?
Many young people, especially those suffering exclusion, lack status, rights and power because they fall between the two stools of protection and dependence as children and autonomy and self-determination as adults. They are also often considered by their elders to be rebellious and troublesome, and labelled with phrases such as 'underclass youth' and 'dangerous youth'.
This book critically examines these discriminatory attitudes and looks at the 'problem' of adults rather than the 'problem' of young people. Rather than focusing on the problems that young people present to others in society, this book emphasizes the problems that young people face from others.
The authors ask searching questions about society's capacity and willingness to be more socially inclusive of young people in terms of policy and practice, and explore the extent to which young people have access to status, rights and responsibilities as young adults. The book takes an holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to identifying and analyzing the factors which promote and exacerbate the social inclusion of young people, with contributors examining important themes and issues such as:
- citizenship;
- education;
- rights;
- youth transitions;
- drug use;
- homelessness;
- teenage pregnancy; and
- unemployment.
The book is unique in that young people have also contributed their views on the issues and on the chapters in this book. Each young contributor describestheir direct experiences and draws out the strengths and weaknesses of the academic contributions, suggesting ways forward for a more inclusive society in the future.
"Youth Policy and Social Inclusion" will appeal to a wide audience, including students, practitioners, policy makers and academics in the fields of social policy, social work, sociology, youth and community work, criminology, economics, education, housing and politics.

Are socially excluded young people becoming an 'underclass', expecting everything but doing nothing to help themselves? Or are adults the problem - ignoring and exacerbating the real issues facing young people today?
Many young people, especially those suffering exclusion, lack status, rights and power because they fall between the two stools of protection and dependence as children and autonomy and self-determination as adults. They are also often considered by their elders to be rebellious and troublesome, and labelled with phrases such as 'underclass youth' and 'dangerous youth'.
This book critically examines these discriminatory attitudes and looks at the 'problem' of adults rather than the 'problem' of young people. Rather than focusing on the problems that young people present to others in society, this book emphasizes the problems that young people face from others.
The authors ask searching questions about society's capacity and willingness to be more socially inclusive of young people in terms of policy and practice, and explore the extent to which young people have access to status, rights and responsibilities as young adults. The book takes an holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to identifying and analyzing the factors which promote and exacerbate the social inclusion of young people, with contributors examining important themes and issues such as:
- citizenship;
- education;
- rights;
- youth transitions;
- drug use;
- homelessness;
- teenage pregnancy; and
- unemployment.
The book is unique in that young people have also contributed their views on the issues and on the chapters in this book. Each young contributor describestheir direct experiences and draws out the strengths and weaknesses of the academic contributions, suggesting ways forward for a more inclusive society in the future.
"Youth Policy and Social Inclusion" will appeal to a wide audience, including students, practitioners, policy makers and academics in the fields of social policy, social work, sociology, youth and community work, criminology, economics, education, housing and politics.

How is the modern world shaping young people and youth crime? What impact is this having on the latest policies and practice? Are current youth justice services working? With contributions from leading researchers in the field, this book offers an insightful, scholarly and critical analysis of such key issues. Youth Offending and Youth Justice engages constructively with current policy and practice debates, tackling issues such as the criminalisation and penalisation of youth, sentencer decision-making, the incarceration of young people and the role of public opinion. It also features an applied focus on professional practice. Drawing on a wide range of high-quality research, this book will enrich the work of practitioners, managers, policy-makers, students and academics in social work, youth work, criminal justice and youth justice in the UK and beyond.