Adolescence: Positive Approaches for Working with Young People

Star rating: 3/5

By Ann Wheal
Russell House Publishing
ISBN 190385542X
£14.95






This book is full of advice for people who are starting out in work with adolescents, such as Connexions personal advisers, mentors and youth workers, who should all find it useful. It also has plenty of brief reference information for those who have been in the field for some time, for parents and for young people themselves. Essentially, it is a guide to the variety of issues that need to be kept in mind when dealing with young people, consistently emphasising the importance of including them all the time in the decisions that affect their lives.

It is not an in-depth study of adolescence but a helpful overview of many of the aspects of growing up which must be addressed in this work. The author’s approach is grounded in a respect for the dignity of each young person as they negotiate the treacherous path into adult life. It is an easy book to dip into, although the reader may find some of the editing unhelpful.

Dinah Morley is acting director, YoungMinds.