Childhood and youth studies

What is it like to be a child growing up in Britain these days? Is it a happy or anxious time? What are the best and worst aspects of being a child today? This book draws on accounts of over two thousand children and five hundred adults, to examine the present day meaning of childhood and its implications for policy and practice.

The UK child poverty rate for large families is among the highest in the OECD. This study investigates the prevalence and characteristics of poor children in large families in the UK and how we compare with other countries.

FREE pdf version available online at www.jrf.org.uk

How to respond to the needs of working parents has become a pressing social policy issue in contemporary Western Europe. This book highlights the politicising of parenthood in the Scandinavian welfare states - focusing on the relationship between parents and the state, and the ongoing renegotiations between the public and the private. 

This in-depth study explores the motivations for 'planned' teenage pregnancy in England. The findings have important implications for the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy and the increasing political agenda on young people and health.

A free pdf version of this report is available online at www.jrf.org.uk

Teenage parenthood is recognised as a significant disadvantage in western industrialised nations. It has been found to increase the likelihood of poverty and reinforce inequalities. This book explores the links between welfare state provision and teenage reproductive behaviour across a range of countries with differing welfare regimes.

Social inclusion and participation have become policy mantras in the UK and Europe. As these concepts are being translated into policies and practice, it is a critical time to examine their interpretation, implementation and impacts. This book asks how far and in what way social inclusion policies are meeting the needs of children and young people.

This book provides a critical analysis of ways in which risk assessment and management are defined and applied in policy, theory and practice in relation to children and young people. It explores the complexities of balancing responsibility for protecting the young with the benefits of risk-taking and the need to allow experimentation.

Following 5 years of systemic research exploring the efficacy and impact of Sure Start Local Programmes, this book pulls together, in a single volume, the results of the extensive National Evaluation of Sure Start (NESS). 

This book explores the economic, religious, political and personal forces that led to some 80,000 British children being sent to Canada between 1867 and 1915 and provides a vivid look at one aspect of the history of child welfare practices.

This accessible textbook illustrates how good communication and positive and participative relationships can be developed with children across the range of universal and specialist children's services.

This attractive and accessible textbook analyses and examines the policies, services and practice skills needed for collaborative, effective and equitable work with children.

This collection brings together opinion, commentary, research evidence, professional guidance, debate and critique in order to understand the phenomenon of anti-social behaviour.