Research from the Economic and Social Research Council programme on Pathways Into and Out of Crime prioritised young people's "voices" in exploring experiences of crime and a range of intervention services. Drawing on data from interviews with 110 young people, this paper explores their perspectives of professional assessment. Embedded within neo-liberal youth welfare policies are a number of contradictions. Policies encourage "individualisation", "responsiblisation" and "self-realisation" while also needing to maintain control and regulation of "risky" populations. This paper explores the implication of these contradictions through examining the experiences of young people being assessed in youth justice and education. The impact on their identities as neo-liberal citizens is discussed in the conclusion.