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.