Ethics of Youth Work Practice in the Twenty-First Century: Change, Challenge and Opportunity.

This editorial introduces a special issue on the ethics of youth work practice in the twenty-first century. It aims to explore everyday ethical dilemmas in youth work and challenge dominant views that portray youth as objects of intervention without agency. The issue includes articles on topics such as the relationship between ethics and climate change, the professionalization of youth work, and the intersection of policy and ethics in practice. The articles offer new perspectives and call for expanded ethical frameworks that consider socio-cultural contexts and the relationships between humans and the nonhuman world. The text discusses various perspectives on youth work ethics, including the need for a more relational and embodied approach, the impact of neoliberal policies, the importance of decolonizing praxis, and the ambiguity surrounding equality. It concludes by emphasizing the need for ongoing ethical reflection and a shift towards recognizing the complexity and richness of ethics in practice. [Extracted from the article]