Building Psychological Safety for Justice-Involved Youth: Why It Matters
About our blogger: Dr Kristen Gurdak is an Assistant Professor at Florida Atlantic University whose research focuses on social inclusion among marginalised groups. Her work explores how culture and context shape identity, resilience, and social inclusion across diverse settings. She conducts cross-cultural comparative studies that inform policy, guide practice, and advance inclusive narratives for society. […]
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Language, Learning and Listening: key themes from 2025’s National Youth Justice Conference
In this blog, CYCJ’s Communications and Engagement Advisor Katya Allcott explores the key themes that emerged from this year’s Youth Justice conference. Delivered in partnership with National Youth Justice Advisory Group (NYJAG) and the Scottish Government it hosted over 200 practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and youth justice experts. This year’s theme was Childhood, Safeguarding and the […]
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Collaboration needed for the safety of Scotland’s children and young people – by Fiona Dyer
Recent events in relation to knife crime have been tragic and need to be addressed, but we must be careful that we do not create a moral panic. Research tells us there are many reasons why children may feel the need to carry knives, including fear, peer pressure, exploitation, unresolved trauma and systemic inequalities including […]
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Reflecting on the 13th International Seminar of the European Forum for Restorative Justice
Upon her return from the 13th International Seminar of the European Forum for Restorative Justice, Lauren Emmerson reflects on her experience hearing from colleagues from across the world as they explored the potential use of restorative practices in addressing the vulnerabilities faced by children on the move. In their workshop Lauren and Pamela Morrison explored […]
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A Life-Changing Experience in Malawi
How many people can say they spent two weeks of their summer holidays volunteering 8,030 miles from home? As a CYCJ employee at the University of Strathclyde, I had the privilege of joining the Renfrewshire Council team for our fourth visit to Malawi. Our group of six included two newcomers, two of us who had […]
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Challenging Justice Inequalities
Join Our Youth Advisory Group and Shape Research We are excited to announce the next phase of the “Challenging Justice Inequalities” project, a collaborative research initiative led by the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ), in partnership with colleagues from the University of Strathclyde’s School of Education, the School of Law, and CELCIS […]
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International Association of Law and Mental Health Conference
Exploring New Perspectives in Barcelona Camp Nou, the streets where George Orwell and the International Brigades fought during the Spanish Civil War, and La Sagrada Familia – these are all sights that I did not have time to see during my recent trip to Barcelona for a five-day conference. However, thanks to funding from the […]
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5 Key Takeaways from the National Youth Justice Conference 2024
As the dust settles on the National Youth Justice Conference 2024, we’re excited to share five key insights from this year’s event. The National Youth Justice Conference is the Scottish Government’s flagship event for youth justice practitioners, hosted in partnership with the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ) and the National Youth Justice […]
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Inclusion as Prevention final evaluation report released
CYCJ UNVEILS FINAL EVALUATION REPORT OF GROUNDBREAKING ‘INCLUSION AS PREVENTION’ PROJECT The Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ) is thrilled to announce the release of the final evaluation report for the innovative project, Inclusion as Prevention (IAP). This community-driven initiative, in collaboration with South Lanarkshire Council, Action for Children, and Dartington Service Design […]
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