This article seeks to explore the relationship between two very important and distinct key concepts – desistance and resilience – by bridging theoretical insights from Criminology and Social Work. These concepts have developed quite separately and in different disciplinary contexts, and there are some clear differences between them. However, it is argued here that research on desistance and resilience also has much in common, in terms of the underlying mechanisms that enable these two distinct ‘processes’ to occur and in relation to the practical implications for working with vulnerable young people.