Drawing on the findings of a two-year European research project, this book presents a new model for responding meaningfully and effectively the 'problem' of how to respond to violence involving young people that continues to challenge youth workers and policy makers.

Preface ~ John Pitts; Part 1: Literature review, theoretical frame and researching youth violence; Youth work and youth violence in a European context; Our theoretical frame; Using participatory research methods to study youth violence; Part 2: Responding meaningfully to youth violence; Working at the personal (P) level; Working at the community(C) level; Working at the structural (S) level; Working at the existential (E) level; Part 3: Rethinking youth work practice and policy; Rethinking some youth worker tales; Working with intersectional identities; Creating policy for good practice; Part 4: Youth work responses in action - case studies of praxis; Responding to structural and symbolic violence: A comparative case study; A sports based response to youth violence; Exploring “Confrontational Pedagogy”; Embedding Community Work; Ethnopraxis in action; Imagining realistic alternatives.

"Impressively steps outside of the norms associated with existing youth work scholarship making an important, wide-ranging contribution to our knowledge of youth work's role in responding to youth violence." Ross Deuchar, University of the West of Scotland