Responding to adolescent risk: continuing challenges

Many practitioners are concerned that the needs of adolescents may be less readily identifiable than those of more overtly dependent, younger children. While much practice for those involved in children’s services consists of work with teenagers, challenges remain in identifying the risk of adolescent neglect and in responding to it effectively. This chapter examines the core areas that present obstacles to successful multi-agency practice in respect of understanding and addressing neglect in teenage years.