ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book introduces the developmental category of 'childhood' as a social construction to help explain the behaviour and status of younger members of society. It presents the definitions and explanations of 'youth offending' that they respond to, have been conceptualised as the creations/artefacts of social institutions, organisations and key individuals in different societies at different times, all working to particular agendas. The social constructions and reconstructions of youth offending and youth justice have been situated within a dynamic structure known as the 'triad of youth justice'. Accordingly, the future shape of youth justice is extremely uncertain due to its dynamic nature being compounded and exacerbated in the current climate of global economic austerity and rapid socio-political changes at the national and local levels.
