Christopher Mallett explores developmental pathways to juvenile delinquency, disentangling key risk factors for offending-and not least, showing how contact with the justice system may only compound the problem.

Tracing a child's life from the earliest years through adolescence, Mallett investigates the processes by which mental health disorders, learning disabilities, experiences of abuse, and combinations of these factors may increase the likelihood of delinquency. He also finds unexpected lessons in resilience. Throughout, he draws on these insights to suggest valuable new ways of responding to issues in vulnerable populations.