Working with Youth Violence

Relevant for experienced and emerging social work and human service practitioners alike, this book explores the uniquely challenging, yet seemingly ubiquitous issue of youth violence. It provides an authentic and accessible discussion of the theories and evidence that inform practice with youth violence alongside the voices of practitioners and the young people they work with.

These voices are drawn from work with the Name.Narrate.Navigate (NNN) program for youth violence. NNN provides a trauma-informed, culturally safe preventive-intervention for young people who use and experience violence, and specialist training for the workers who support them. The program embraces creative methods as a bridge between contemporary evidence on trauma and violence and Aboriginal healing practice. The dual focus of the program is informed and interconnected by action research involving Aboriginal Elders and community members, practitioners, and key service stakeholders, including young people with a lived experience of violence.

This book is ideal for use in professional cross-disciplinary programs, such as criminology, sociology, social work, and psychology, across post-secondary, vocational, and university sectors.

Tamara Blakemore, University of Newcastle, Australia, leads the Name.Narrate.Navigate (NNN) program for youth violence. She is a social work practitioner, researcher, and educator whose work focuses on violence, abuse, and trauma. Her work for the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse and the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children contributes to high level social policy.

Louise Rak, University of Newcastle, Australia, is the program manager of NNN. She has undertaken a PhD in social work exploring young women’s use of violence. Louise regularly contributes to policy analysis in areas of homelessness and domestic violence, bringing a wealth of cross-sector experience to her work. She is the Chair of the Board for Nova for Women and Children.

Chris Krogh, University of Newcastle, Australia, provides human and social service sector expertise to NNN. He has worked across counselling, child protection, and out-of-home care, youth sector development, NSW government policy, and program evaluation. Chris’ PhD investigated effects of practice documentation on those written about, finding, despite attempts to lessen impacts, they often provoke anger and frustration.

Shaun McCarthy, University of Newcastle, Australia, provides expertise on the criminal justice system to NNN. He is the Director of the University of Newcastle Legal Centre (UNLC) and Program Convenor of the Practical Legal Training Program. He provides clinical supervision to law students at the UNLC and teaches in the law school’s practice program and bachelor of laws and juris doctor degrees.

Graeme Stuart, University of Newcastle, Australia, brings almost 40 years’ experience in family and community work to his role as facilitator and practitioner working party chair in NNN. Graeme is active in the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) and convenes the AVP International research team, is the person behind the Sustaining Community blog, and is a proud father.