The Juvenile Justice System

Abstract

The juvenile justice system is made up of public and private agencies that have some responsibility for the care and supervision of children who have committed offenses that would be defined as criminal acts if these offenses were committed by an adult, or who have committed offenses that apply only to children, such as running away from home or being incorrigible with parents or school administrators, which are considered as offenses if the person committing the act is in an age category the statutes of the state the person resides in defines as child or juvenile.

The Juvenile justice system also protects youth who have not engaged in any behavior considered deviant but who are in need of care and assistance because their parents or guardians are either incapable of or unwilling to provide the care (food, clothing, shelter, supervision) the child needs.

The juvenile justice system that emerged in the early part of the twentieth century in the United States, while considered unique to the United States, has its roots in English Common Law. Traditional standards for determining if a child had the mental ability to distinguish between “right and wrong,” the parens-patriae doctrine, and institutions for treating children, such as the houses of refuge, have their roots in the common law.

The mission, goals, and methods used to achieve the goals, both legal and service oriented, adapted by the components of the juvenile justice system used to respond to those youth who are in violation of the laws or who are in need of care and supervision have changed considerably since the creation of the juvenile courts in early part of the twentieth century. The system has changed and adapted to the demands brought about by changes in the societies in which the systems operate. The traits and skills of the personnel and administrators of the agencies that constitute the system have also changed.