Summarizes the general law applicable to children, beginning with a statement of the underlying concept which culminated in separate court systems for juveniles in the United States. Encourages solicitation of judicial and professional enlightenment to appraise minors, parents, teachers, and administrators of their legal rights and obligations.…

The Gault mandate of the right to defense counsel has led to greater prosecution representation of the community interest at adjudicatory hearings. State legislatures, responding to public concerns regarding juvenile crime, are rapidly placing prosecutors in decisional roles at juvenile intake. (Author)

This staff brief discusses the juvenile justice system in five states which have enacted specific statutory provisions directed at the violent and chronic juvenile offender. Approaches adopted by California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Washington are described which include: (1) various ways of automatically waiving or transferring youths…

Family intervention is shifting from an informal alternative in treatment of juvenile offenders to a formal adjudicatory option. The politically expedient move was not based on conclusive empirical data. Without evaluation of family intervention strategies, such strategies are likely to proliferate with little control over possible unfortunate…

Following an analysis of the major forces for institutional change confronting the juvenile courts, and a review of recent federal and state responses likely to promote further modifications in the present system, the author discusses a modified system capable of accommodating demands for basic alterations of juvenile justice. (Author)

Considers the contributions that psychology has made to the juvenile justice system in the areas of theory, research, practice, and public policy. Calls for the increasing involvement of psychologists in order to enhance the well-being of children and youth. (Author/GC)

Recent statements by social scientists and legal professionals have pointed to the need for a general research framework within which discretionary practices in the juvenile justice system can be empirically described and evaluated. The present article proposes social judgment theory as one framework suitable for addressing these issues. (Author)

The author reviews research examining the connection between juvenile delinquency (JD) and learning disabilities (LD). Although it is explained that no clear relationship between LD and JD has been established, possible implications for the treatment of juveniles, the juvenile justice system, and school systems are listed. (CL)

Six major studies are cited in review of the literature comparing status and delinquent offenders, yielding findings which support a policy of moderation in decision making about differential treatment of these two types of juvenile offenders. Four of the studies on status offenders which indicate that recidivism rates may vary in proportion to…

Provides information on the background and legal framework of the juvenile justice system, the issues that confront it, and the pressures for change, as well as noting some sources of information on the system. Available from American Association of Law Libraries, 53 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 1201, Chicago, Illinois 60604; sc $4.00. (Author/IRT)

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 provided financial incentives to states to divert and deinstitutionalize status offenders. Recently, criticisms are surfacing that the federal involvement in the status offender issue was inappropriate and had given children the freedom to run away. Concern about victimization of girls…

Part of a study on the link between LD (learning disabilities) and delinquency, the paper summarizes the literature on the prevalence of handicapped juveniles in the justice system. Following a review of methodological limitations in the literature, the paper summarizes findings about the prevalence of emotional disturbances, mental retardation…

This paper presents a broad overview of information about delinquency, crime, and school discipline and violence in relation to U.S. youths. Part 1 compares U.S. and West Germany's crime rates for 1980-1985, while part 2 focuses on U.S. juvenile crime facts and on the contribution of the increasing number of U.S. family breakdowns to juvenile…

This fact sheet documents the disturbing overrepresentation of status Indian youth in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems of Ontario (Canada). However, the information represents only the tip of the iceberg. Data relate solely to children and youth whose parents resided on an Indian reserve; who were dealt with by the family court (not…

Reviews research literature on the existence of racial bias in the judicial dispositions of white and black juveniles. Argues against the "no racial bias hypothesis," which recent research has tended to support, by questioning the studies' underlying assumptions and methodologies. (KH)