Youth Justice

UCAS code: L611

Here's what Nottingham Trent University says about its Youth Justice course.

From drugs to gangs to knife-crime, youth offending often makes the headlines — but are you getting the full story?

Youth justice is a specialist strand of criminology, and this degree asks the questions that populist politics and the mainstream media don’t. How do you feel about the UK’s age of criminal responsibility being 10 — the youngest in Europe? When might a child reasonably understand the consequences of their actions? What role do family and community play in a young person’s development — and why can a life of crime sometimes feel like their only option? We deal in reality, not soundbites and sensationalism; together, we’ll explore the psychological, social, and political factors that have shaped the past, present, and future of juvenile justice worldwide.

Learn from experts with personal and professional experience of the youth justice system; uncover the deeper truths behind the lives of at-risk juveniles; examine your own prejudices and preconceptions in a whole new light. It’s time to ask bigger, better questions — it’s time to be the difference that young people need.

Why choose this course?

• Explore the field from every angle — meet with guest-speaker practitioners and service-users.

• Our smaller-than-average classes provide a friendly, flexible, more personalised learning experience.

• Test your skills in the real world of the youth justice system, with a four-week industry placement.

• Our course is mapped to the Youth Justice Boards Skills Matrix for Youth Justice.

Prepare for a deep-dive into the history, evolution, and processes of the youth justice system — and learn everything you’ll need to know as a professional practitioner. You’ll grow as a person throughout the course, building the confidence and communication skills to work successfully with young people, families, and a whole host of partner agencies.

Year One modules are: Research and Study Skills for Youth Justice; Youth Crime and Social Inclusion; Child and Adolescent Development; Values, Ethics and Children's Rights in a Youth Justice Context; Contemporary Youth Justice: Context and Purpose; Managing Transitions

Year Two modules are: Assessment and Report Writing in Youth Justice Practice; The Secure Estate and Resettlement; Research Methods in Youth Justice; Effective Practice in Youth Justice.

Final Year modules are: Restorative Justice, Victims and Victimology; Delivering Interventions in Youth Justice Practice; Law, Sentencing and the Role of the Courts; Safeguarding in Youth Justice Practice; and your Dissertation.

People learn in different ways, and we want everybody to have the best possible chance of success. Our students especially love the fact that the course only includes one exam (in Year Three), which we’ll practice for.

We’ve introduced a wide range of assessment methods onto NTU’s Youth Justice degree course — everything from essays and reflective journals, presentations and posters, case studies and critical reviews, to focus groups, quizzes, placements, roleplaying, and your very own research project.