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Juvenile

Delinquency and
Juvenile Justice
Chapter 11
History of the Juvenile Courts
 Focus on rehabilitation
 Disposition fit the offender not the offense

 Lacking culpability

 No formal protections of due process


 Kent v. United States
 Assistance of counsel
 In re Gault (1967)
 All
protections under the Bill of Rights
 Due process

 Perception of increase in juvenile crime


Processing in Juvenile Courts
 Law enforcement contact
 Intake

 Hearing

 Formal report conducted by the

probation officer
 Judge orders a sentence if the

juvenile is found ‘delinquent’


Juvenile Delinquency and
Juvenile Offenses
 Behavior against the criminal code committed by
an individual who has not reached adulthood
 Most crimes are property crimes (45%), crimes
against person (23%), crimes against public
order (21%), drug offenses (11%)
 Juvenile crime is at its lowest in 20 years
 Offenders are becoming younger
 More are sent to adult courts
 Increase in crime among girls
 Status offenses
 Curfew
 Loitering

 Property crimes (1/3 of juvenile


arrests)
 Burglary (1/4 of all juvenile offenses)
 Theft

 Arson
Risk Factors for Juvenile
Delinquency
 Individual
 Substance abuse, mental health concerns, impulsivity, and
poor problem solving
 Family
 Poor parental attachment, lack of parental supervision, and
harsh ineffective discipline
 School
 Academic difficulty, unrecognized learning disabilities, poor
school attendance, academic dissatisfaction
 Delinquent Peers and Gang membership
 Offense history predict recidivism
Protective Factors
 Intelligence
 Negative attitudes toward delinquent behavior
 Sociability/positive temperament
 Positive family influence
 Close relationship with a family member
 School environment
 Commitment to and participation in activities
 Educational achievement
Juvenile Violence
 Juvenile violence is higher than in
previous generations and is high in
industrialized countries
 Homicide is the leading cause of

death among Hispanics and African-


Americans
 Violent crime almost over 30 years
Risk Factors for Nonsexual
Violence
 Individual
 impulsivity, hyperactivity, poor behavioral control
greater risk taking, attentional problems, reduced
intelligence, poor educational performance
 Family
 Parental with prior criminal history, low attachment,
harsh discipline, poor supervision, child abuse, low
socioeconomic status, family conflicts
 Delinquent Peers and Gang membership
 Neighborhood
 Urban area, availability of drugs and guns
Risk Factors for Sexual
Violence
 19% of rapes are by males under 19 years
 1/3 of child molesters are juveniles
 2-14% reoffending rate
 Risk Factors for reoffending
 Acquaintance of the victim
 Not receiving any form of treatment
 Less severe initial offenses
 Younger offender
 Little is known about female juvenile
perpetrators
Role of Forensic Psychologists
in Juvenile Court
 Evaluate treatment amenability
 Systemic functioning important
 Identify treatment needs
 Provide Treatment
 Multi-modal interventions
 Multi-systemic Therapy
 Transfer Evaluations
 Transfers to criminal courts
 Competency Evaluations
 Developmental immaturity is a factor
 Insanity Evaluations
 Extremely rare in juvenile cases
 Risk assessment
 Threat assessments
 Early Assessment Risk List (EARL)
 Structured Assessment of Violent Risk in
Youth (SAVRY)
Special Issues in Regard to
Juveniles: School Violence
 School Violence and School Shooting
 School shootings peaked 1990s and
decreased after 1998
 Violent crime has decreased in schools
 Use of school shooter profiles are
ineffective
 Threat Assessment
 Specific form of risk assessment
 Encourages identification of precise actions
associated with behaving violently

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