Law, Drugs and the Politics of Childhood: From Protection to Punishment

The relationship between drugs and childhood is explored in this book, which argues that it is more complex than just noting that they are both things that people tend to worry about. It looks at how childhood is used as a tool in the biopolitical management of drug use and supply, and how it affects law- and policymaking in the fields of family justice and education. The book concludes that the currency of childhood and youth shapes the discursive entities of drugs and addiction and is one of the ways in which particular substances become socially, culturally, and politically intelligible. It will be essential reading for policymakers, researchers, and students working in the areas of criminal justice, law, psychology, and sociology.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 170 pages
Publication date: 26 September 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Debates surrounding drug regulation are closely intertwined with discussions about children and the young. However, the strength and significance of this association remain a subject of inquiry. This book seeks to delve deeper into the relationship between drugs and childhood, moving beyond mere observations of their association. It raises questions about what is at stake when legislators, lobbyists, and decision-makers rely on claims about children to support specific legal or policy positions.

Beginning with a genealogy of the relationship between the discursive artifacts of 'drugs and 'childhood, the book employs Foucauldian methodologies to examine how childhood functions as a tool in the biopolitical management of drug use and supply. In addition to analyzing decriminalization initiatives and sentencing measures, the book extends its scope beyond the criminal context to consider the importance of the 'politics of childhood' in law- and policymaking in the fields of family justice and education.

The conclusion of the book argues that the currency of childhood and 'youth is not merely rhetorical; rather, it shapes the discursive entities of drugs and addiction and plays a crucial role in making certain substances socially, culturally, and politically intelligible. At the same time, drugs serve as a technology of child normalization.

This book will be of vital importance to policymakers, researchers, and students engaged in the fields of Criminal Justice, Law, Psychology, and Sociology. Its insights will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics between drugs, childhood, and society, and will assist in developing effective strategies for addressing these challenges.

Weight: 331g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367703202