These top scholars probe the discretionary use of power and inquire how it has been exercised to spare convicted criminals from the full might of the law.

The contributors to this volume examine the range and nature of problem behaviours among children and young people and the changing nature of their offending, which is reflected in the ongoing examination of philosophies, practices and policies and the tension between `welfare' and more traditional `justice and punishment' approaches.

Argues that only by understanding the psychology of both the aggressors and the victims of wife assault can we generate informed social and criminal justice policy.