Youth Justice is all about working with young people who offend or are at risk of offending. This course links academic theory to contemporary practice through placements, visits and guest speakers. Our Youth Justice course is multidisciplinary, involving the study of social policy, sociological, psychological and criminological perspectives. You'll explore why young people offend and the impact their families and communities have upon their personal development and criminal behaviour. Throughout the course you'll consider comparative international practices of managing offending behaviours and initiatives for reducing offending. While this course does explore a number of criminological perspectives it is mapped against the Skills for Justice National Occupational Standards for Youth Justice. This makes the course ideal for those interested in the study of Criminology but who are keen to work within the youth justice sector.  The aim of the course is to focus on the core skills that practitioners working within youth justice need so that they can work effectively with young people, their families, and other professionals. We aim to equip you with the knowledge and understanding of how to communicate effectively with others, how to accurately assess the needs and risks of young people, and how to use reflection and the skills of critical analysis to develop an understanding of the legislation, policies and frameworks within which youth justice practitioners operate. In addition, you'll explore the history of youth justice and the relationship of offending to child and adolescent development. There is also a clear practical focus upon contemporary issues facing future practitioners.