10.1 Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives
In this chapter, we will look at the juvenile justice system. First, we’ll talk about what philosophy guides it, how its court system works, and the places where young people might be held if they’re in trouble with the law. We’ll compare this system to the one for adults and see why the focus here is more on helping young people change their behavior rather than just punishing them.
Next, we will explore the history of the juvenile system to see how it has evolved over time. We’ll start in 1899 when it first began and then fast forward to some important court cases in 2012 and 2016. These cases were important because they changed how the law treats young people who get in trouble.
We will conclude with an evaluation of treating juveniles as adults.
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, students will be able to:
- Summarize the history and purpose of the juvenile court.
- Explain how due process has evolved through the juvenile court.
- Briefly examine the structure of the juvenile justice system.
- Examine the reasons supporting and criticizing the process of waiver to adult court.
Key Terms
Below are some of the most important key terms and phrases used in this chapter. You should review and become familiar with these terms before reading this chapter:
- Disposition
- Disproportionate minority contact (DMC)
- Ex parte Crouse
- Judicial waiver
- Juvenile delinquency
- Legislative waiver
- Mandatory waiver
- Parens patriae
- Presumptive waiver
- Prosecutorial waiver
- Status offenses
- Superpredator
- School-to-prison pipeline (SPP)
Critical Thinking Questions
Take a few minutes and reflect on these questions before you read the chapter to assess what you already know. Then, after reading the chapter, return to these questions to gauge how much you’ve learned:
- What impact did the child savers have on juvenile justice reform?
- Explain how due process has been used throughout the history of the juvenile justice system.
- How has the juvenile justice system evolved since it was created?
- What are the different types of waivers?
- What four areas changed the juvenile court?
Licenses and Attributions for Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives
Open Content, Shared Previously
“Juvenile Justice” is adapted from “10: Juvenile Justice” by Alison S. Burke in SOU-CCJ230 Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System by Alison S. Burke, David Carter, Brian Fedorek, Tiffany Morey, Lore Rutz-Burri, and Shanell Sanchez, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Modified by Alison Burke and Megan Gonzalez. Revised by Roxie Supplee, licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, include rewriting the introductory paragraph.
A system of rules enforced through social institutions to govern behavior.
