‘It’s a Hard Balance to Find’: The Perspectives of Youth Justice Practitioners in England on the Place of ‘Risk’ in an Emerging ‘Child-First’ World

In recent years, there has been a shift in youth justice central policy narratives England and Wales away from risk assessment management towards child first. However, this is meeting with number of challenges on the ground. The reasons for have conceptualised as resistance reticence, contradiction bifurcation confusion about competing emerging different UK government departments how to meet statutory requirement ‘prevent’ offending. article emphasises importance meaningfully engaging practitioners debates challenge.