How to Work With Children (In More Ways Than One)

Not too long ago we had to make a bail decision about a couple of street robbers who had been preying for the most part on teenagers, stripping them of mobile phones and any other valuables. They were quite large young men, and they reinforced their demands by threatening to stab anyone who resisted. Their lawyers applied for bail on their behalf, but it wasn't difficult to see that there were serious concerns that they would reoffend, fail to come back to court, or interfere with witnesses, so we remanded them in custody. One thing that did strike me was that both lawyers referred to the importance of their clients being freed, one to continue his charity work with children and the other to attend his college course on Youth and Community Care. They looked like an unlikely pair of social workers to me.