ERIS Experts - Brian Littlechild

Juvenile or youth offending is a key issue of concern for all countries in Europe. The causes, effects and treatment of youth offending are high on policy agendas in nearly all European countries, with  many and diverse policy and legal initiatives being introduced in the last few decades.

Professor Brian Littlechild is one of ERIS’s experts on young offenders. He has extensive experience of practice, policy, training, consultancy and management in the area of youth offending and its treatment. He has carried out many research projects, been commissioned to deliver policy reports, and published widely in this area. He also chairs Youth Offender Referral Panels, where young offenders are made subject to plans and treatment for their offending.

He has been engaged as a Consultant to the Council of Europe’s Council for Penological Cooperation (in 2007), the Law Reform Department, and the Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs (for its Draft European Rules for Juvenile Offenders and in 2009 on its Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee on Social Measures, Education and Rehabilitation of Young Offenders).

ERIS can provide consultancy, training and research to governmental, national and local agencies from its experts Europe-wide and at the local level.

For further information, contact Professor Brian Littlechild, PhD, BA, MA, CQSW, RSW, FRSA, FHEA, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB

Publications and research:

  • Sender, H, Littlechild, B., & Smith, N. (2006) “Black and Minority Ethnic Groups and Youth Offending”, Youth and Policy, 93, 61-76
  • “The youth justice system in England and Wales: History, current developments and key issues in policy and practice with young offenders” (2009) European Research Institute for Social Work Web Journal

Non-Refereed Articles (Selection)

  • "For Better or for Worse? The New Youth Courts", Community Care, 3.12.90
  • "A Future for Social Work with Young Offenders", Professional Social Work, July 1994
  • “Young people who have sexually abused: Law and provision”, Childright, July/August 2002. Co-authored with Dr. Helen Masson
  • (Co-author with Tom Rees) “Research into practice: the effectiveness of a preventive programme with young people who are at risk of offending”, Community Care, 4 April 2003
  • “Social workers”, Care Knowledge Briefing, No. 5, April 2003
  • (Co-author with Tom Rees) “Research into practice: restorative justice in a residential unit for young people”, Community Care, 28 January 2004
  • (with Helen Sender) “Restorative Justice and Relational Conflict Resolution in young people’s residential units”, Childright, June/July 2006

Books, book chapters and Monographs

  • "Social Work Guidelines to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984” (ed.) BASW, 1987
  • Chapter 3 of Children’s Society publication ‘Penal Custody for Juveniles’, 1988
  • “Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984: the role of the appropriate adult”, BASW, 1996
  • Editor (with Debra Fearns), and author of two chapters, “Mental Disorder and Criminal Justice: Policy and Practice”, Russell House Publishing, 2005
  • Doina Balahur, Brian Littlechild, Roger Smith (Editors), (plus four chapters) Restorative Justice Developments in Romania and Great Britain. Sociological - juridical enquiries and applied studies of social work. Editura
  • Universit ii Al.I.Cuza Iasi, 2007, ISBN 978-973-703-203-4, 254 p.
  • Littlechild. B, and Smith R. Social Work with young offenders. In Social Work: An Introduction to Contemporary Practice, Kate Wilson, Gillian Ruch, Mark Lymbery, Andrew Cooper (eds) , Pearson Education, 2008
  • Simpson, G. and Littlechild, B. ‘International aspects of social work with children, young people and families’. In Introducing International Social Work, (eds) Lawrence, S., Lyons, K. Simpson, G. and N., Learning Matters, Exeter

Conference papers

Refereed

  • An end to innocence? The new punitive state: Social Policy and Legislation in relation to young people who offend. University of Central Lancashire, conference Government Policies and their Effects on Children, 1995
  • Punishment or Welfare for Young Offenders in England and Wales? Joint World Congress of International Federation of Social Workers/International Association of Schools of Social Work, Hong Kong 1996
  • The development of evidence based practice in the youth justice system presented to the Evaluation for Practice International conference, University of Huddersfield, 2000
  • Working with conflict and restorative justice approaches in social work, with particular emphasis on social work with young offenders, and young people in group care settings. 34th Biannual Congress of the International
  • Association of Schools of Social Work conference, “Transcending Global-Local Divides”, 2008

Non-refereed (selection)

  • Perceptions of the Justice System by ethnic witnesses, victims and offenders. Images of Justice - Differing Perceptions Conference, Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association/University of Hertfordshire (published) 1996
  • Mental Health and Youth Justice workshop paper for Children and Mental Health conference, British Association of Social Workers, 1998 Conference (invited paper)
  • Evidence based practice in youth justice. Invited key note address, Children’s Society/University of Teesside conference, September 1999
  • Referral Orders - Putting Right the Harm Done. Invited key note address, QMW Public Policy Seminars, ‘Delivering Most Effective Policies on the Sentencing of Young Offenders’, University of London, May 2004
  • The Referral Order, Two Years On, Invited Keynote address, Children Law UK Conference, 2005.

Research activity

  • Research consultant and co-author of final report for the Hertfordshire Safer Hertfordshire Partnership’s Young Citizens Project, 1997 - 1999 (agency funded)
  • Researcher for phase two of the Hertfordshire Safer Partnership’s Young Citizens Project, 1999-2002 (agency funded)
  • Research consultant and co-author of final report for Druglink groupwork project, The Mount prison, 1997-1999 (agency funded)
  • Young Citizens Programme: Evaluator’s report. In Hertfordshire Youth Justice Plan 2001/2002, Hertfordshire County Council (agency funded)
  • Research Leader, evaluation of NCH’s family support service for over 10s in Hertfordshire, 2001-2002 (agency funded)
  • Research Leader, The Introduction of a restorative justice approach in residential childcare, Hertfordshire County Council, 2002-2003 (agency funded)
  • Research Leader, Ethnic minorities within the Youth Justice system, Hertfordshire Youth Justice service, 2002-7 (agency funded)
  • Research Leader, Young People’s Participation, Hertfordshire Children, Schools and Families Service, 2007 (agency funded)
  • Research Leader, Dealing with conflict in young people’s residential childcare, Hertfordshire County Council, 2005-2007 (NSPCC funded)
  • Research Leader, Evaluation of Parenting Programmes, Hertfordshire County Council, 2008-2011 (agency funded)

Links:


Updated: 19. 09. 2016