Trauma-informed youth offending practice

Psychological trauma refers to experiences of harm and loss that are unresolved and continue to impact on thinking, feeling and behaviour. Addressing psychological trauma originated within the field of psychotherapy, but it has since evolved to include trauma-informed approaches to practices outside of this discipline including youth-offending practice. However, the adoption of this approach to frontline practice is still in its infancy. Within England and Wales, applying a trauma-informed approach presents challenges to the youth-offending service, as service provision is unable to completely untangle itself from its inherent criminal justice aims, which creates a tension in practice. As a result, the nuances around how to apply a trauma-informed approach to youth-offending practice requires careful consideration. This chapter will bring together research that examines the nuances of a trauma-informed approach to youth-offending practice. It will contextualise this by framing the discussion within the inherent tensions in youth-offending practice and will consider the ethical challenges this may create.