Edited by Karl Harald Søvig; Marit Skivenes; Malcolm Langford

Norway tops international indexes on children’s rights but continues to attract criticism for its level of compliance with the Convention of the Rights of Child. This book is the first scholarly attempt to address this implementation paradox. The authors ask: What is the current level of implementation? How can we explain any gap in perceived performance? Can we improve our measurement of children’s rights? With the use of quantitative and qualitative methods, the volume examines a wide range of areas relevant to children’s rights. These include child protection and sexual violence, detention and policing, poverty and custody proceedings, asylum and disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, and childcare and human rights education. In addition, the book offers a proposal for an alternative statistical approach to measuring Norway’s performance. The book’s editors conclude by pointing towards the complex set of factors that complicate full realisation and the need for the Government to engage in proper measurement of implementation.

Oslo: Scandinavian University Press, 2019. 452p.

By Jerome G. Miller.

Last One over the Wall is an analytical and autobiographical account of Jerome G. Miller’s tenure as head of the Massachusetts juvenile justice system, during which he undertook one of the most daring and drastic steps in recent juvenile justice history—he closed reformatories and returned offenders to community supervision and treatment by private schools and youth agencies. Filled with insights into juvenile and adult behavior in prison and outside, Miller’s account provides a rare opportunity to view our juvenile justice system as a whole, including all the politics, economics, and social biases that come with it. In a new preface for this edition, the author reflects on his decision of seven years ago and the lessons learned from it.

Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press, 1998. 279p.

By Louise Roberts.

Outcomes, Experiences and Ensuring Meaningful Support to Young Parents In and Leaving Care, “…the organisation was concerned that care-experienced parents-to-be shared some additional difficulties and experiences. These included the potential for social work intervention, experiences of stigma and discrimination, as well as reduced access to resources and support. While the organisation was keen to acknowledge and champion the successes of parents who overcame multiple adversities and maintained the care of their children, they were nevertheless deeply concerned about the numbers subject to routine assessment, monitoring and intervention, including permanent and compulsory separation.”

Policy Press (2021) 173p.