Youth Services
- LAST MODIFIED: 29 May 2015
- DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195389678-0225
- LAST MODIFIED: 29 May 2015
- DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195389678-0225
Introduction
Youth work is a continually evolving field of practice, in many ways paralleling economic, social, cultural, and political changes that have taken place in societies around the world over time. In most countries, the foundation of youth work grew out of a concern about the welfare of children, recognizing that there exists some failure in providing the support, guidance, and resources needed for young people to thrive and achieve their full potential. The term “youth work” is difficult to define; contexts, circumstances, and influences have led to diverse interpretations of the concept. In its broadest sense, youth work encompasses a range of social, cultural, recreational, educational, and political activities with young people of all ages and abilities. This broad definition allows for the term to be applied to many types of youth populations and practice settings. In most contexts, youth work is located within the sphere of informal education or learning. Activities and programs are facilitated, coordinated, and executed by professional or voluntary youth workers, leaders, or mentors. Today, the scope and breadth of youth work is great. Key constituents participating in services provided by youth workers are young people under the age of twenty-five, with a particular focus on those between ten and twenty-one. Target populations include (1) marginalized and underserved youth such as those who are disadvantaged, high risk, young offenders, urban street youth, or suffer from substance abuse; (2) those representing different configurations of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion, such as LGBTQ youth, teenage women of color, Native American youth, and Asian youth; (3) youth with skill and interest in leadership and advocacy; (4) youth interested in hands-on service within the realm of citizenship, social action, and community service; (4) youth interested in social, recreational, cultural, educational, or athletic programs; and (5) youth with a specific interest such as computer gaming, chess, or chemistry. The theoretical underpinnings of youth work suggest that its influences are diverse and multifaceted. Many appear to agree that informal education serves as the guiding principle to practice in which the individual learns and grows by doing and sharing; learning is experiential. This philosophy is based on the work of several notable scholars, including Dewey, Piaget, Kolb, and Lewin. There are a number of theoretical perspectives that continue to influence youth work, including Humanistic Theory, Community Youth Development Theory, Social Systems Theory, Psychosocial Theory, Empowerment Theory, and Positive Youth Development Theory (see Theoretical Works below). The literature on youth work is located across a wide variety of disciplines and professional contexts, mirroring the practice of youth work, which is a subspecialty of social work, leisure and recreation, education, and a host of other professions and fields of practice. The United Kingdom has played a leading role in all aspects of youth work both historically and presently, and it does appear that youth work in the United Kingdom is more formalized as a profession when compared with other countries. In the United States, for example, youth work has yet to achieve autonomy and distinctiveness from other professions. This annotated bibliography summarizes important works relevant to youth work.
Introductory Works
The topic of youth work is wide in scope and breadth. The introductory works listed here are designed to acquaint laypersons and specialists with a foundation level of knowledge about youth work. The reader will be introduced to works providing an overview of topics, including history, policy, ethics, practice approaches, theory, and current trends. The United Kingdom has played a leading role in all aspects of youth work, both historically and presently, and has produced a great deal of the prevailing literature. Of the eight texts listed in this section, five were written by experts from the United Kingdom. Jeffs and Smith 2010, Batsleer and Davies 2010, and Wood and Hine 2009 provide a comprehensive synthesis of knowledge about the theory and practice of youth work in the United Kingdom as seen through the lens of a variety of scholars and practitioners. Sapin 2008 and Young 2006 each provide a good overview of the field, with specific attention to the purpose, principles, and practice of youth work. From the United States, Edginton, et al. 2005 provides a good overview of youth work, contextualized by its history, policies, theory, and practical application. The edited text Fusco 2011 provides an international perspective on youth work, featuring invited contributors from around the world. Although dated, Krueger 1997 offers much insight and wisdom about best practices for interacting with youth. The books listed here do not give an in-depth explanation of any one subject area, providing instead a foundation of knowledge about an array of youth work study areas and a starting point for further investigation. These books can be found on the syllabuses of undergraduate and graduate courses that deal with topics related to youth work.
Batsleer, Janet R., and Bernard Davies, eds. 2010. What is youth work? Exeter, UK: Learning Matters.
This book provides a good introduction to youth work practice, including a discussion of the changing nature of youth work contextualized by historical and contemporary themes. Although the book has a clear UK orientation, the themes have universal application.
Edginton, Christopher R., Christopher L. Kowalski, and Steven W. Randall. 2005. Youth work: Emerging perspectives in youth development. Champaign, IL: Sagamore.
Provides an overview of youth work and youth development. This is a good introductory text for the study of youth work in America. The book is both practical and theoretical. Topics relate to adolescent development, youth policy, ethics, history, programming, and other youth work topics.
Fusco, Dana. 2011. Advancing youth work: Current trends, critical questions. New York: Routledge.
This text is academic in nature, bringing together a variety of commentators who explore practices and perspectives oriented toward advancing youth work. Discussion around areas of youth work curricula, competencies, and credentialing are key strengths of the text.
Jeffs, Tony, and Mark Smith, eds. 2010. Youth work practice. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Jeffs and Smith are recognized experts in the field of youth work. This book explores the current state and future of the field. The book’s contributors are practitioners who reflect on their experiences contextualized around the continuing evolution of youth work.
Krueger, Mark. 1997. Interactive youth work practice. Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America.
The book contains five essays focusing on the skill of interacting with youth, taking into consideration developmental and functional capacities. The philosophy of “meeting the client where they’re at” serves to contextualize the essays. The author also includes a curriculum for use in classrooms or other educational settings.
Sapin, Kate. 2008. Essential skills for youth work practice. London: SAGE.
This text has an academic orientation with specific attention to the purposes and core values of youth work. Case material from youth workers representing an array of practice settings and roles serves to illustrate the diversity of youth work practice.
Wood, Jason, and Jean Hine, eds. 2009. Work with young people: Theory and policy for practice. London: SAGE.
Grounded in theory and research, this book draws on the experiences of nineteen academics from a range of disciplines, most of whom are affiliated with universities in the United Kingdom. This work focuses on using theory and policy as a basis for exploring practice.
Young, Kerry. 2006. The art of youth work. Lyme Regis, UK: Russell House Publishing.
This text, with its academic orientation, is focused on the practices and principles of youth work. Perspectives from thirty-two youth workers provide an opportunity to learn from the professional experience of seasoned practitioners. Focus is placed on the importance of relationship building between the practitioner and constituent.
Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on this page. Please subscribe or login.
How to Subscribe
Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here.
Article
- Abortion
- Adolescent Depression
- Adolescent Pregnancy
- Adolescents
- Adoption
- Adoption Home Study Assessments
- Adult Protective Services in the United States
- African Americans
- Aging
- Aging out of foster care
- Aging, Physical Health and
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Problems
- Alcohol and Drug Problems, Prevention of Adolescent and Yo...
- Alcohol Problems: Practice Interventions
- Alcohol Use Disorder
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
- Anti-Oppressive Practice
- Asian Americans
- Asian-American Youth
- Assessment
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Baccalaureate Social Workers
- Behavioral Health
- Behavioral Social Work Practice
- Bereavement Practice
- Bisexuality
- Brief Therapies in Social Work: Task-Centered Model and So...
- Bullying and Social Work Intervention
- Canadian Social Welfare, History of
- Case Management in Mental Health in the United States
- Central American Migration to the United States
- Child Maltreatment Prevention
- Child Neglect and Emotional Maltreatment
- Child Poverty
- Child Sexual Abuse
- Child Welfare
- Child Welfare and Child Protection in Europe, History of
- Child Welfare Practice with LGBTQ Youth and Families
- Children
- Children of Incarcerated Parents
- Christianity and Social Work
- Chronic Illness
- Clinical Social Work Practice with Adult Lesbians
- Clinical Social Work Practice with Males
- Cognitive Behavior Therapies with Diverse and Stressed Pop...
- Cognitive Processing Therapy
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Community
- Community Development
- Community Policing
- Community-Based Participatory Research
- Community-Needs Assessment
- Comparative Social Work
- Computational Social Welfare: Applying Data Science in Soc...
- Conflict Resolution
- Council on Social Work Education
- Counseling Female Offenders
- Criminal Justice
- Crisis Interventions
- Cultural Competence and Ethnic Sensitive Practice
- Culture, Ethnicity, Substance Use, and Substance Use Disor...
- Dementia Care
- Dementia Care, Ethical Aspects of
- Depression and Cancer
- Development and Infancy (Birth to Age Three)
- Differential Response in Child Welfare
- Digital Storytelling for Social Work Interventions
- Direct Practice in Social Work
- Disabilities
- Disability and Disability Culture
- Disasters
- Divorce
- Domestic Violence Among Immigrants
- Early Pregnancy and Parenthood Among Child Welfare–Involve...
- Eating Disorders
- Ecological Framework
- Economic Evaluation
- Elder Mistreatment
- End-of-Life Decisions
- Epigenetics for Social Workers
- Ethical Issues in Social Work and Technology
- Ethics and Values in Social Work
- Ethnicity
- European Institutions and Social Work
- European Union, Justice and Home Affairs in the
- Evidence-based Social Work Practice
- Evidence-based Social Work Practice: Finding Evidence
- Evidence-based Social Work Practice: Issues, Controversies...
- Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs
- Families
- Families with Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual Parents
- Family Caregiving
- Family Group Conferencing
- Family Policy
- Family Services
- Family Therapy
- Family Violence
- Fathering Among Families Served By Child Welfare
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Field Education
- Financial Literacy and Social Work
- Financing Health-Care Delivery in the United States
- Forensic Social Work
- Foster Care
- Foster care and siblings
- Gay Men
- Gender, Violence, and Trauma in Immigration Detention in t...
- Generalist Practice and Advanced Generalist Practice
- Group Work
- Group Work across Populations, Challenges, and Settings
- Group Work, Research, Best Practices, and Evidence-based
- Harm Reduction
- Health Care Reform
- Health Disparities
- Health Social Work
- History of Social Work and Social Welfare, 1900–1950
- History of Social Work and Social Welfare, 1950-1980
- History of Social Work and Social Welfare, pre-1900
- History of Social Work from 1980-2014
- History of Social Work in China
- History of Social Work in Northern Ireland
- History of Social Work in the Republic of Ireland
- History of Social Work in the United Kingdom
- HIV/AIDS
- HIV/AIDS and Children
- HIV/AIDS Prevention with Adolescents
- Homelessness
- Homelessness Outside the United States
- Housing
- Human Needs
- Human Trafficking, Victims of
- Immigrant Integration in the United States
- Immigrant Policy in the United States
- Immigrants and Refugees
- Immigrants and Refugees: Evidence-based Social Work Practi...
- Immigration and Health Disparities
- Immigration and Intimate Partner Violence
- Immigration and Poverty
- Immigration and Spirituality
- Immigration and Substance Use
- Impact of Emerging Technology in Social Work Practice
- Impaired Professionals
- Implementation Science and Practice
- Indigenous Peoples
- Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Supported Employmen...
- In-home Child Welfare Services
- Intergenerational Transmission of Maltreatment
- International Social Welfare
- International Social Work
- International Social Work and Education
- International Social Work and Social Welfare in Southern A...
- Internet and Video Game Addiction
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy
- Intervention with Traumatized Populations
- Interviewing
- Intimate-Partner Violence
- Juvenile Justice
- Kinship Care
- Korean Americans
- Latinos and Latinas
- Law, Social Work and the
- LGBTQ Populations and Social Work
- Life Span
- Mainland European Social Work, History of
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Management and Administration in Social Work
- Maternal Mental Health
- Measurement, Scales, and Indices
- Medical Illness
- Men: Health and Mental Health Care
- Mental Health
- Mental Health Diagnosis and the Addictive Substance Disord...
- Mental Health Needs of Older People, Assessing the
- Mental Illness: Children
- Mental Illness: Elders
- Meta-analysis
- Microskills
- Middle East and North Africa, International Social Work an...
- Military Social Work
- Mixed Methods Research
- Moral distress and injury in social work
- Motivational Interviewing
- Multiculturalism
- Native Americans
- Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders
- Neighborhood Social Cohesion
- Neuroscience and Social Work
- Nicotine Dependence
- Occupational Social Work
- Organizational Development and Change
- Pain Management
- Palliative Care
- Palliative Care: Evolution and Scope of Practice
- Pandemics and Social Work
- Parent Training
- Personalization
- Person-in-Environment
- Philosophy of Science and Social Work
- Physical Disabilities
- Podcasts and Social Work
- Police Social Work
- Political Social Work in the United States
- Positive Youth Development
- Postmodernism and Social Work
- Postsecondary Education Experiences and Attainment Among Y...
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Poverty
- Practice Interventions and Aging
- Practice Interventions with Adolescents
- Practice Research
- Primary Prevention in the 21st Century
- Productive Engagement of Older Adults
- Profession, Social Work
- Program Development and Grant Writing
- Promoting Smart Decarceration as a Grand Challenge
- Psychiatric Rehabilitation
- Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamic Theory
- Psychoeducation
- Psychometrics
- Psychopathology and Social Work Practice
- Psychopharmacology and Social Work Practice
- Psychosocial Framework
- Psychosocial Intervention with Women
- Psychotherapy and Social Work
- Qualitative Research
- Race and Racism
- Readmission Policies in Europe
- Redefining Police Interactions with People Experiencing Me...
- Rehabilitation
- Religiously Affiliated Agencies
- Reproductive Health
- Research
- Research Ethics
- Restorative Justice
- Risk Assessment in Child Protection Services
- Risk Management in Social Work
- Rural Social Work in China
- Rural Social Work Practice
- School Social Work
- School Violence
- School-Based Delinquency Prevention
- Services and Programs for Pregnant and Parenting Youth
- Severe and Persistent Mental Illness: Adults
- Sexual and Gender Minority Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylu...
- Sexual Assault
- Single-System Research Designs
- Social Development
- Social Insurance and Social Justice
- Social Intervention Research
- Social Justice and Social Work
- Social Movements
- Social Planning
- Social Policy
- Social Policy in Denmark
- Social Security in the United States (OASDHI)
- Social Work and Islam
- Social Work and Social Welfare in East, West, and Central ...
- Social Work and Social Welfare in Europe
- Social Work Education and Research
- Social Work Leadership
- Social Work Luminaries: Luminaries Contributing to the Cla...
- Social Work Luminaries: Luminaries contributing to the fou...
- Social Work Luminaries: Luminaries Who Contributed to Soci...
- Social Work Regulation
- Social Work Research Methods
- Social Work with Interpreters
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Strategic Planning
- Strengths Perspective
- Strengths-Based Models in Social Work
- Suicide
- Supplemental Security Income
- Survey Research
- Sustainability: Creating Social Responses to a Changing En...
- Syrian Refugees in Turkey
- Systematic Review Methods
- Task-Centered Practice
- Technology Adoption in Social Work Education
- Technology for Social Work Interventions
- Technology, Human Relationships, and Human Interaction
- Technology in Social Work
- Terminal Illness
- Terrorism
- The Impact of Systemic Racism on Latinxs’ Experiences with...
- Transdisciplinary Science
- Translational Science and Social Work
- Transnational Perspectives in Social Work
- Transtheoretical Model of Change
- Trauma
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Triangulation
- Tribal child welfare practice in the United States
- Unions
- United States, History of Social Welfare in the
- Universal Basic Income
- Veteran Services
- Vicarious Trauma Redefining PTSD
- Victim Services
- Violence
- Virtual Reality and Social Work
- Welfare State Reform in France
- Welfare State Theory
- Women and Macro Social Work Practice
- Women's Health Care
- Work and Family in the German Welfare State
- Workfare
- Workforce Development of Social Workers Pre- and Post-Empl...
- Working with Non-Voluntary and Mandated Clients
- Young and Adolescent Lesbians
- Youth at Risk
- Youth Services