Posted: December 16th, 2022

Context and History of Juvenile Justice

Context and History of Juvenile Justice System
Juvenile delinquency has highly increased over the years due to various factors such as genetic differences, poverty, and a negative social environment. A large number of adult criminals have a history of juvenile delinquency during their adolescence phase, but in most cases, few children transfer delinquency in adulthood. Age is a risk factor where most adolescents tend to participate more in crime due to the hormonal changes and rebellious nature. Proactivity and anti-social behaviors are some of the contributing factors towards juvenile delinquency. Juvenile justice has improved over the years in American through efforts in the reduction of misconduct as well as controlling risks related to juvenile delinquency.
Back in the 17th century, children were treated like adults criminals where they were taken to court and sentenced according to the crime committed. No distinction was there between adult punishment and children’s punishment. Inadequate awareness of life skills, self-control as well as primitivism due to insufficient learning facilities, enhanced delinquency.
In the early 90s, the concept of juvenile justice was innovated, brought forward by various organizations such as child labor laws as well as schools interested in child development. (Broderick, 2018). Instead of administering harsh punishment to children, rehabilitation facilities were constructed whereby children were taken for counseling and solution for their problems. The Supreme Court made decisions on matters concerning the treatment of children’s behaviors, where children were given the right to due process.

Juvenile courts reduced cases of delinquency as well as enhanced behavioral control through limiting risk factors promoting criminality. Rehabilitation and confidentiality in the maintenance of juvenile records were enhanced. Juveniles were separated from adult criminals which reduced death cases of children as well as violence caused by adult inmates. Since the introduction of juvenile courts, juvenile justice straightened out fast in many countries.
“Immorality “was mostly committed by girls as compared to boys where cases of girls running away from home were common. Both boys and girls were taken to different courts; probation was given to those who required reformation. Tremendous improvement was noted in juvenile courts, although many guardians brought forward minor cases such as fights leading to piled up and unsolved cases.
Overloaded cases in courts led to the immediate settlement of minor cases to provide room for priority and significant cases. This brought about criticism in juvenile courts — questions about fairness as well as claims about juvenile not receiving punishment. Initiatives and positive impacts are experienced in juvenile justice. Development, formulation of policies, and responding to juvenile delinquency has been successful in the 21st century.
Decisions concerning juvenile delinquency are made according to age, rights of children as well as the need for rehabilitation for behavioral change. (Emerson, 2017). Children below the age of 18 are taken to juvenile courts, but when a child is sentenced for a long time, they are shifted to the adult courts after attaining the age of 18. Delinquency in the 21st century has been contributed by various factors. High population leading to low living standards, increase in rates of immorality, drug abuse as well as mental health problems.
Personnel involved with children cases are trained, for example, the welfare associates and attorneys for effective and reliable performance. Youths with disabilities are taken to special courts as well as unstable mental children. Various laws and cases from the 17th century to the 21st century have led to changes in juvenile justice. In the 17th and 18th centuries, troublesome children were locked into a house where they stayed for an extended period inconsiderate of their mental and physical health. The locked children were later taken to other families as a controlling factor of their behaviors. Inadequacy of facilities as well as poverty was the leading cause of the harsh treatment of children not considering their state of health,
Children cases taken to adult court was a significant factor that contributed to changes in American courts. Children under the age of sixteen were charged for long years in prison as well as some sentenced to death. A case ruled by Miller Alabama, who never considered age before offering a death sentence was an example of juvenile injustice. (Feld, 2019). Changes in juvenile justice were contributed by an inconsiderate ruling by some of the prosecutors. Child saving movement was introduced, vocational training, religious education as well as construction and offering rehabilitation services.
Gerald Gault, a fifteen-year-old child, was prosecuted for making an indecent phone call where the parents were not notified of his disappearance.Gerald was jailed for six years. Cases of thirteen to sixteen years old were arrested for murder, assault, and robbery, contributing to the positive change in juvenile justice. (Henning, K., Cohen, and Marrus, 2018).The children were locked with adult inmates, given harsh punishments as well as referred to as “predators.” Juvenile courts were constructed consistently in America due to the high rate of juvenile delinquency. A kid arrested and charged for five years because of receiving a stolen item, purchased by the mother from an immediate neighbor . The cases are reasons behind changes in juvenile justice in America.
Social status, economic differences, as well as family relations, have brought about a rise in juvenile delinquency. Formation of gangs by youths has emerged, which has contributed to the reduction, maintenance, and supervision of parents and guardians. (Bender, 2018) Exposure to technology, the internet, and a change in lifestyle have contributed sufficiently to juvenile delinquency. Some of the youths caught are reported to experience mental health problems added by genetic and family relations. Black kids are taken too found more frequently in America even before committing a crime due to race, ethnicity as well as social, economic status.
Back in history, kids who committed crimes were viewed as toxic and treated as adults. Juvenile justice has brought about fairness and in courts. Various factors are taken into consideration, for example; treatment of mental health, offering counseling services, review of social, environmental factors. (Broderick, 2018).The strategies have helped curb juvenile criminality through rehabilitation and education. Current efforts in juvenile justice have brought about reduced death rates of children inmates, improved behavior as well as benefited from vocational and religious training offered.
Efforts in attaining Juvenile justice in America have been successful since the 17th century to the 21st century. Children were initially punished like adults as well as locked with adult inmates. Some children were sentenced to death while other long-term imprisonments. In the early 17th century, children were housed in a room where they were locked for an extended period regardless of their health status. Children who committed the crime, for instance, the black children between ages 13 to 16 were referred to as predators. Therefore, no empathy was showed. In the 21st century, juvenile justice is practiced in all states. Children are given chances to reform aganist criminality as well as solutions provided to their problems. Social factors, Age, peer pressure, and mental health are some of the factors considered in juvenile court today. Rehabilitation has changed the lives of many children reducing high cases of adult criminality in society.

References
Bender, C. (2018). JUVENILE JUSTICE AND REFORM: A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT HOW THE UNITED STATES PUNISHES JUVENILES (Doctoral dissertation, University of Delaware).
Broderick, H. T. (2018). History: The Evolution of Juvenile Justice. In Inequalities in the Early Years (pp. 99-112). Routledge.
Emerson, R. M. (2017). Judging delinquents: Context and process in juvenile court. Routledge.
Henning, K., Cohen, L., & Marrus, E. (Eds.). (2018). Rights, Race, and Reform: 50 Years of Child Advocacy in the Juvenile Justice System. Routledge.
Schwartz, R. G. (2018). A 21st century developmentally appropriate juvenile probation approach. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 69(1), 41-54.

Order | Check Discount

Tags: Context and History of Juvenile Justice Inbox