The Psychology of Adolescent Criminality. Introduction. Rethinking Youth Crime

Send us Fan MailA single word can change a child’s life: criminal. Once that label lands, adults often stop asking “what led to this?” and start deciding “what should happen to them?” I’m Kim Lee, a child and adolescent psychotherapist, and this series begins by slowing the conversation down so we can understand what adolescent criminality actually means and why that definition matters before we talk about blame, punishment, or risk.We walk through the youth justice system in England and Wales, including the age of criminal responsibility at 10 and what can happen after an arrest. I break down the wide range of youth offending, from shoplifting and assault to drug offences, carrying weapons, online harassment, and more serious violence. We also look at patterns in who enters the system and why the cases that do reach it can be more complex, including emerging concerns like knife-related offences and exploitation through organized crime networks such as county lines.Then we shift from law to psychology. I hold one principle throughout: behavior is never random, it communicates something that hasn’t yet been seen. We start naming what often sits underneath offending, including adolescent brain development, attachment and early experience, shame and identity, and the deep human need to belong. If you’ve ever worried your child is “getting in with the wrong crowd,” we reframe that phrase and ask what need the group is meeting that life at home or school is not.If you care about prevention, early intervention, and seeing the child before they are defined by what they’ve done, listen and share this with someone who works with teens. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell me what questions you want answered as the series continues.