‘Objects of concern’ or ‘risky young offenders’? Assessment and intervention with children in the public care and youth justice systems of England and Wales

Experiences of victimization and trauma cannot account fully for the over-representation in the youth justice system of young people with a background in public care. This chapter explores the relationship between the child protection, public care and youth justice systems in England and Wales (United Kingdom). There is a tendency in social work and youth justice practice to make children the objects of risk assessment (in terms of „risk of harm‟ and „risk of reoffending‟) without paying at least equal attention to the risks posed to children by powerful professionals and the systems they represent. The author duly conducts a risk assessment of the child welfare and criminal justice processes through which such young people typically pass.