Publisher description

Even though youth crime rates have fallen since the mid-1990s, public fear and political rhetoric over the issue have heightened. The Columbine shootings and other sensational incidents add to the furor. Often overlooked are the underlying problems of child poverty, social disadvantage, and the pitfalls inherent to adolescent decisionmaking that contribute to youth crime. From a policy standpoint, adolescent offenders are caught in the crossfire between nurturance of youth and punishment of criminals, between rehabilitation and "get tough" pronouncements. In the midst of this emotional debate, the National Research Council's Panel on Juvenile Crime steps forward with an authoritative review of the best available data and analysis. Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice presents recommendations for addressing the many aspects of America's youth crime problem. This timely release discusses patterns and trends in crimes by children and adolescentsâ€"trends revealed by arrest data, victim reports, and other sources; youth crime within general crime; and race and sex disparities. The book explores desistanceâ€"the probability that delinquency or criminal activities decrease with ageâ€"and evaluates different approaches to predicting future crime rates. Why do young people turn to delinquency? Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice presents what we know and what we urgently need to find out about contributing factors, ranging from prenatal care, differences in temperament, and family influences to the role of peer relationships, the impact of the school policies toward delinquency, and the broader influences of the neighborhood and community. Equally important, this book examines a range of solutions: Prevention and intervention efforts directed to individuals, peer groups, and families, as well as day care-, school- and community-based initiatives. Intervention within the juvenile justice system. Role of the police. Processing and detention of youth offenders. Transferring youths to the adult judicial system. Residential placement of juveniles. The book includes background on the American juvenile court system, useful comparisons with the juvenile justice systems of other nations, and other important information for assessing this problem.

Juvenile Justice and Schools: Policing, Processing, and Programming examines the complex relationship between educational institutions and the juvenile justice system. Readers learn about factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency, how schools can prevent and manage juvenile delinquency, and how individuals can leverage resources other than police or justice systems in response to behavioral concerns. Each chapter examines a specific topic and demonstrates how the topic intersects with school systems and juvenile justice systems. Dedicated chapters explore poverty and its impact on school readiness; the school-to-prison pipeline; racial and gender disproportionality in school discipline practices; and police presence in schools. Students learn about the juvenile justice system, peer mediation as a means to reduce conflicts, strategies for reducing school violence, anti-bullying programs, and more. Juvenile Justice and Schools is an ideal resource for undergraduate and graduate level courses in sociology, criminology, and criminal justice. It can also be used in minor programs in peace studies, education, and juvenile delinquency.

What should we do with teenagers who commit crimes? In this book, two leading scholars in law and adolescent development argue that juvenile justice should be grounded in the best available psychological science, which shows that adolescence is a distinctive state of cognitive and emotional development. Although adolescents are not children, they are also not fully responsible adults.

A brief yet thorough introduction with an emphasis on real-world issues Briefer and less expensive than traditional core textbooks, Juvenile Justice: The Essentials provides a current, thought-provoking introduction to juvenile justice, juvenile delinquency, the challenges of reducing juvenile crime, and of providing equal and fair justice for all juvenile offenders. Offering a comprehensive yet concise overview of the field′s most important concepts and issues, authors Richard Lawrence and Mario Hesse include cutting-edge research; practical examples of juvenile justice in action; and up-to-date coverage of laws, policies, and programs in juvenile justice. Engaging pedagogical features illustrate true-to-life cases, policies, and practices that capture student interest by vividly responding to the "So what?" question of how delinquency theories apply in the real world.

Juvenile Justice: A Text/Reader offers a unique new spin on the core textbook format. Organized like a more traditional juvenile justice text, this text/reader is divided into eight sections that contain all the usual topics taught in a juvenile justice course. After a comprehensive overview, each section has an introductory "mini-chapter" that provides engaging coverage of key concepts, developments, controversial issues, and research in the field. These authored introductions are followed by carefully selected and edited original research articles. The readings, from prominent scholarly journals, were written by juvenile justice experts and often have a policy orientation that will help address student interest in the "so what?" application of theory. Key Features and Benefits Boasts extensive and unique coverage of the juvenile justice system, focusing on law enforcement, the court system, correctional responses to juvenile offending, and an overview of the causes of delinquency Features a unique "How to Read a Research Article"—tied to the first reading in the book—to give students a guide to understand and learn from the edited articles that appear throughout the text. Provides an introduction to each reading to give students an overview of the purpose, main points, and conclusions of each article. Utilizes photographs, boxes, and suggested Web resources to enhance the book's presentation and engage student interest. Offers a clear and concise summary of key terms and concepts in each section and discussion questions that enhance student comprehension Ancillaries A Student study site at www.sagepub.com/lawrencestudy provides self-quizzes, e-flashcards, additional readings, and more. Instructor Resource on CD include test questions for both the text and readings, PowerPoint slides, teaching tips, and other resources. Qualified instructors can request a copy by contacting Customer Care at 1-800-818-SAGE (7243), 6AM-5PM, Pacific Time. Intended Audience This Text/Reader is designed to serve as a replacement for a core text, or a supplement text for upper-level undergraduate Juvenile Justice courses in departments of criminal justice, criminology, sociology and related disciplines. Interested in a text/ reader for another criminology or criminal justice here? Explore other titles in the series.

Traces the progress toward resolving critical juvenile justice and delinquency issues, and to provide cutting-edge intervention strategies to effectively rehabilitate juvenile offenders and prevent delinquency. The 21 chapters in this book are divided into four sections. Part I provides an overview of juvenile delinquency and the juvenile justice system. In this section, we examine historical, political, legal, and arrest delinquency trends and consider comprehensive community planning as one strategy for improving the juvenile justice system. Part II explores early crime prevention strategies, effective programs to reduce antisocial behavior and school bullying, and the powerful relationship between school performance and juvenile delinquency. Part III examines and critiques a range of developmental, familial, and sociological theories that are commonly used to explain and understand juvenile delinquency. Finally, in Part IV, we examine a range of juvenile justice treatment and policy alternatives, including mental health screening and assessment, suicide prevention, evidence-based intervention models, police responses and strategies to delinquency, drug and mental health courts, therapeutic jurisprudence, restorative justice, female delinquency, and community-based after-care.