Understanding is necessary but not sufficient, how can we work with delinquent adolescents and promote effective rehabilitation?

In criminology, three different paradigms can be distinguished regarding the rehabilitation of individuals who have committed offences. The punitive and exclusionary paradigm (nothing works’ movement), the risk paradigm (what works’ movement) and, more recently the strength based paradigm (movement of what helps). In this presentation, we will discuss these three paradigms, especially the contributions and limitations of the risk paradigm for the understanding of juvenile delinquency and the associated interventions. This paradigm, drawn from evidence-based research, is focus on the evaluation of levels of risk and criminological needs (or risk factors) with an underlying deterministic approach. We postulate that this paradigm not matched with the developmental and dynamic step of adolescence. In this view, we will examine the main characteristics of adolescent from scientific literature, with a focus on psychosocial maturity. In order to respect these characteristics, we will identify the significant components of interventions that need to be included in the work with adolescents (e.g., increasing responsiveness and avoiding moralistic attitudes, using short-term reinforcements, integrating the peer group to enhance the social valorization, and focusing on positive objectives). These components will be discussed in relation to the third paradigm of strength-based approach in the field of positive criminology. Finally, we will highlight implications for research and curative prevention, and the BIdirectional linked between the both, concerning juvenile delinquency.