The Oxford Handbook of Developmental Psychology and the Law

Developmental psychology is the science of how beings evolve throughout the lifespan. The focus is on individual behaviors in different contexts at different stages of development, beginning before birth and spanning into old age and until death. The study of law is concerned with when and why individuals do and do not conform to rules, norms, and laws, and as such, also focuses on behaviors.

In The Oxford Handbook of Developmental Psychology and the Law, Allison D. Redlich and Jodi A. Quas have brought together experts across multiple disciplines, including psychology, criminology, education, law, and policy, who focus on the interface between developmental science and law across crucial but also very different periods of development. Chapters are written by leading and emerging scholars who review the existing literature in their respective fields, both integrating findings and highlighting ongoing controversies and gaps. The text is divided into sections that map onto developmental stages (birth through adolescence, adulthood, and aging) and then further into civil and criminal subsections. Coverage includes topics such as prenatal and infant abuse; the development of antisocial behavior in children, adolescents, and adults; questioning of minor and elderly victims, witnesses, and suspects; treatment of at-risk individuals across multiple settings (e.g., criminal courts, immigration, custody, and adoption hearings); experiences in prison; reentry transitions after incarceration; and reproductive and end-of-life legal rights.

Insightful and forward looking, the Handbook provides crucial foundational knowledge of the field and offers concrete suggestions for next steps and conclusions for practitioners and scientists who are working to push the field forward and use the knowledge for more informed decision-making.

Allison D. Redlich is a University Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University. She received her degree in Developmental Psychology and has applied developmental science to the study of interrogations and confessions; guilty pleas; and wrongful convictions. She publishes extensively in these three areas, is the author/editor of five books, and often presents to academic and practitioner audiences.

Jodi A. Quas is Professor of Psychological Science in the Interdisciplinary School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine. Her scientific expertise concerns children's and adolescents' involvement in the justice system, as victims, witnesses, and suspects. She publishes extensively on all of these topics, regularly trains professionals across disciplines ranging from law and social work to education and healthcare, and works with policymakers and practitioners to find ways of improving the justice system's response to and involvement of a wide range of vulnerable youth.