Introduction

The papers in this special issue of the journal are taken from those presented at the International Conference organised by SEBDA in 2010 around the theme ‘Transforming Troubled Lives’. Some 160 people attended the three days at Keble College Oxford, coming from nearly all the continents in the world. The evaluations showed high praise for the 70+ plus presentations, so choosing those for this issue was difficult. A common theme in delegate evaluations was an appreciation of the presenters’ mixture of professional practice and theory in the papers given. This is a key factor in developing good practice across our work with children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The discussions between delegates showed that all cultures and creeds sadly have children and young people whose emotional wellbeing requires attention and whose behaviours gives them, their peers and those who care for them challenges in how to meet their needs.