This book aims to examine the application of psychological thinking and practice across a wide range of residential and community based forensic services for adolescents in the UK. Each chapter is a separate research article detailing topics such as service delivery, individual presenting difficulties, assessment and interventions. Articles have a strong formulation emphasis in an effort to move away from the more traditional diagnostic approach. They integrate many approaches from differing psychological perspectives.

Over recent years there has been a significant increase in the research being carried out with this complex and often overlooked client group. The book acknowledges that many previous interventions have been adapted from what is known about adult offenders and highlights many differences, offering a more developmentally informed approach. What it clearly identifies is the level of complexity and needs that adolescents who offend present with. There are common themes throughout the chapters both in terms of precipitating factors such as exposure to trauma and disturbances in attachment, and approaches that appear to be offering good outcomes e.g. multi-systemic therapy.

There are some less traditional areas covered within the chapters. These include articles on: a young person's direct experience of forensic mental health services, with reflections from the team supporting them, leading to thought provoking suggestions for service delivery; a paper looking at self-disclosure within forensic settings, an area that there is a body of literature for outside of this field but little within; and the introduction of the DART framework, which formally brings together much of the attachment literature, would be equally applicable to residential services as well as forensic settings. There are excellent chapters on risk assessment that stress the need for risk assessment to be carried out within context leading to clear treatment approach rather than being viewed in isolation. Range of abilities is covered by chapters on autism and intellectual disability.

All chapters have useful summaries. Many use case examples to illustrate approaches. These are useful and recognizable composites to those working in the field. The book provides a comprehensive overview of many issues and areas pertaining to working with adolescents with a range of abilities and presenting difficulties within different forensic environments. My one criticism is that related topics could have been grouped together to provide ease of reading. The book achieves its aims by providing an excellent formulation based approach drawing on different psychological theories to inform the development of treatment and support for this client group and moves successfully away from diagnosis.

This text is written for clinicians, researchers and other professionals. I would also recommend it to those new to the area, such as trainees. It is thought provoking and an excellent addition to the literature in the field. I would thoroughly recommend this book.