The juvenile justice system deals with young people who have been accused of criminal acts. A wide variety of criminal justice professionals work in juvenile justice specialties, including law enforcement officers, lawyers, judges, court staff, probation officers, counselors, educators, child welfare workers, and policy makers. It’s challenging work, but they have the satisfaction of knowing that effective intervention can make a huge difference in the lives of young offenders. This title includes informative features, such as sidebars and graphic organizers, that spotlight career requirements, rewards, and prospects.

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.

A comprehensive, far-ranging guide to all the many career options available to young people interested in pursuing work within the field of juvenile justice. This book provides descriptions of the wide range of jobs, such as probation officer, corrections officer, youth advocate, lawyer, judge, child welfare worker, social services representative, youth counselor, and youth educator. The education and temperamental requirements are also discussed, as are resumes, job searches, and future prospects in the field.

The juvenile justice system is a multifaceted entity that continually changes under the influence of decisions, policies, and laws. The all new Fourth Edition of Juvenile Justice: A Social, Historical, and Legal Perspective, offers readers a clear and comprehensive look at exaclty what it is and how it works. Reader friendly and up-to-date, this text unravels the complexities of the juvenile justice system by exploring the history, theory, and components of the juvenile justice process and how they relate.

This report focuses on national standards designed to improve delinquency prevention efforts and the juvenile justice system. The set of standards and goals on juvenile justice and delinquency prevention is designed to play a significant role in the national effort to reduce criminality and encourage a consistent jurisprudence for youth. Standards are included on most aspects of the juvenile justice system, including delinquency prevention, organization and coordination of delinquency prevention programs, police roles and responsibilities in the juvenile justice system, jurisdiction and processes of the juvenile court, and the adjudication process. Also covered are standards on endangered children, dispositions, prosecution and defense services, intake and correctional services, and planning and evaluation in the juvenile justice system.