Introduction:

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 degree 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.

What you’ll study

The aim of the course is to focus on the core skills that practitioners working within youth justice need so they can work effectively with young people, their families, and other professionals. We aim to equip you with 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. For example:

• young people and gangs
• substance misuse and offending
• victims
• restorative justice and effective practice.

Each of these topics are examined critically and debated.

How you’re taught

To provide you with a first-class learning experience and to guarantee you have an opportunity to make the most of your time at university, you'll receive contact time through a diverse range of delivery methods.

Structured teaching will be delivered through a combination of traditional lectures and seminars. The smaller group seminars provide opportunities to develop skills in problem-solving, group working, analysis, debating and presentation, and to discuss a wide range of views.

You'll also learn from audiovisual presentations, information technology-based exercises, and practical experience.

Careers and employability

Our Youth Justice graduates gets jobs:

The job titles below give an indication of the careers our recent Youth Justice graduates are following:

• Youth Justice Service Officer
• Residential Social Worker in a Children's Home
• Child Sexual Exploitation Support Worker
• Custody Officer
• Youth Worker
• Fraud Investigation and Prevention Officer
• Mental Health Worker
• Youth Support Worker
• Residential Support Worker
• Behavioural Mentor
• Case Worker
• Support Living Coordinator
• Children and Young Persons Designated Key Worker
• Housing and Welfare Officer
• Housing Support Coordinator

You may also consider studying a postgraduate course in areas such as social work or criminological justice.