Resilience in young offenders

Youth offending is an important societal issue. A considerable amount of research has sought to examine the characteristics of young people who offend and to determine the factors within youth and their social environments that contribute to recidivism. More recently, research has begun to focus on those individual and environmental factors that help young people desist from offending. This has involved research into those individuals who cease offending after a period of criminal engagement and research into protective factors, that is, a factor whose presence is associated with increased protection from a negative outcome (i.e., offending). This article reviews these streams of research, with a particular focus on the protective factor of resilience. Implications of this research for clinicians will be discussed. © International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services.