ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book draws to a close with summary observations on the young people, the process of dealing with difficult adolescents, the nature of available specialist interventions, the lessons for research and, the primary purpose of all this endeavour, outcomes – what works, for whom, when and why. It also marks a departure in that it seeks to explain outcomes, and therefore bring some additional rigour to the ‘what works’ debate. The book first time fully defines the terms ‘life route’, ‘process’ and ‘career’ and attempts to show how they are linked. It explores that the most important part of the study is outcome. Inevitably with such a group of young people, there are some shock and horror stories.
