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Review: Youth Justice and Social Work

Document Cited authorities 1 Cited in Related
Vincent
AuthorRichard Martin
DOI10.1177/02645505070540020602
Published date01 June 2007
Date01 June 2007
Subject MatterArticles
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Reviews 187
Chapter 2 highlights how toilets in clubs are used as a safe space for women
who chat and hang out there to chill out (p. 31) which reminds me of how queuing
up in clubs for the ladies toilet was always an ordeal but pretty entertaining once
inside, in that you could observe a variety of characters exchanging tales of who
they had pulled, what drugs they had taken and commenting on other groups of
girls – some negative and at times flattering!
Pages 52–3 describe, through a sample of quotes, how women are more likely
to be perceived as drug users than dealers, which can lead to unwanted attention
from other dealers and suppliers. For those novices to the drug world, this certainly
will give the reader an insight into the economic function that drugs play in society
– how supply and demand are faced in the illegal as much as the legitimate world
of trade and commerce.
The book examines the drug, alcohol and sexual activity of women who go to
clubs. Although it is a form of an educational tour of the social activity of women,
it is clear that women who participate in drug (mis)use can still be perceived as
‘mad or bad’ as well as promiscuous (p. 77). In an era where women consume
alcohol as much as men, with a binge drinking economy and an increase of
‘ladettes’ emerging within society, this book is worth reading but fails to look at
broader factors which have emerged in recent social settings. Women who fall
victim to drunken fights or sexual assaults still face sexism, particularly when
processed by the criminal justice system. In fact, it was reported this year how
some jurors thought that women who are drunk and subsequently raped are
partially accountable for this crime. I would have expected a little more of that
side of the experience, rather than concentrating solely on the empowering tale
of ‘girl power’. Overall, a little more context and a balanced picture could have
made the story more believable, but this book is still an interesting and thought-
...

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