In order to work effectively with children who offend it is important to understand the developmental stages of a child’s life cycle and what that means in terms of physical, emotional, social and cognitive processes. Early experience affects the developing brain which makes early intervention with those who have suffered abuse and neglect an imperative. The interactive web feature on this site explains key concepts in the science of early childhood development.
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/resources/multimedia/interactive_features/coreconcepts/