Child First

“There is much here to reward a wide variety of readers—from those primarily concerned to develop the concepts of a Child First approach, to those seeking to apply those concepts in the front rooms of children who find themselves in trouble with the law.”

— Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS, First Minister of Wales 

“This timely collection of essays seeks to address the challenge of providing the right help for children who find themselves in trouble…This consolidated body of  learning will serve as a bulwark against any future temptation to bring large numbers of children back into the criminal justice system.”

— Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales 

“This book offers compelling evidence, challenging questions, and it identifies gaps and opportunities. I will be recommending the book to those researching and working in youth justice… I hope that, like me, readers will be engaged and provoked not only into thinking about the challenges but also into taking action to embed Child First in practice.”

— Keith Fraser, Chair, Youth Justice Board for England and Wales 

This book explores the development and implementation of Child First as an innovative guiding principle for improving youth justice systems. Applying contemporary research understandings of what leads to positive child outcomes and safer communities, Child First challenges traditional risk-led and stigmatising approaches to working with children in trouble. It has now been adopted as the four-point guiding principle for all policy and practice across the youth justice system in England and Wales, it is becoming a key reform principle for youth justice in Northern Ireland, and it is increasingly influential across several western jurisdictions. With contributions from academics, policymakers and practitioners, this book critically charts the progress and challenges in establishing a progressive evidence-led youth justice system. Its dynamic and accessible integration of theory, research, policy and practice, alongside discussion of critical themes, makes it a key read for students on youth crime/justice modules and for a wider market. 

Stephen Case is Professor of Youth Justice in the Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy division at Loughborough University, UK.  

Neal Hazel is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the School of Health and Society at the University of Salford, UK.