Delinquency Theories: Appraisals and Applications by
Delinquency Theories: Appraisals and applications provides a fulsome and accessible overview of contemporary theories of juvenile delinquency. The book opens with a comprehensive description of what a theory is, and explains how theories are created in the social sciences. Following on, each subsequent chapter is dedicated to describing an individual theory, broken down and illustrated within four distinct sections. Initially, each chapter tells the tale of a delinquent youth, and from this example a thorough review of the particular theory and related research can be undertaken to explain the youth's delinquent behaviour. The third and fourth sections of each chapter critically analyze the theories, and provide a straightforward discussion of policy implications of each, thus encouraging readers to evaluate the usefulness of these theories and also to consider the relationship between theory and policy. This text is an invaluable resource for both undergraduate and graduate students of subjects such as youth justice, delinquency, social theory, and criminology.
Drug Use and Delinquency: Causes of Dropping Out of High School by
Gasper examines whether drug use and delinquency contribute to early school leaving and whether the effects differ for poor and middle-class youth. Results suggest that drug use and delinquency add little to explanations of dropout. Rather, drug use, delinquency, and dropout are driven by a process of precocious development rooted in early school failure. Driven by a fundamental dissatisfaction with school, precocious teens are more likely to use drugs, take on a job outside of school, and leave school without a diploma in an effort to gain independence. Dropout prevention should start in middle or elementary school and attempt to interrupt the developmental cycle of failure and problem behavior that culminates in dropout.
From Juvenile Delinquency to Adult Crime: Criminal Careers, Justice Policy, and Prevention by
What makes a juvenile delinquent develop into an adult criminal? Edited by two leading authorities in the fields of psychology and criminology, Transitions from Juvenile Delinquency to Adult Crime examines why the period of transition to adulthood is important and how it can be better understood and addressed both inside and outside of the justice system. With serious scholarly analysis and practical policy proposals, Transitions from Juvenile Delinquency to Adult Crime addresses what can be done to ensure that today's juvenile delinquents do not become tomorrow's adult criminals.
Juvenile Delinquency: Causes, Control and Consequences by
This book focuses on the causes, control and consequences of juvenile delinquency. Chapter One begins with an overview of the social, cultural and interpersonal issues with justice involved adolescents. Chapter Two's purpose is to help understand the major developmental theorist's view of critical developmental milestones, understand the social, biological and interpersonal effects on an adolescents'functioning; learn how rage, anger and delinquency are central components in the developing adolescents'skills to manage behavioral outbursts; identify aspects of depression and anxiety in adolescents and how these symptoms manifest into pathology; learn skills and tools to work with adolescents who struggle with these changes and adolescents who are defiant to the therapy process; identify markers related to low and inflated self-esteem and how it may disrupt adolescent development; improve awareness of friendship development and group identity contribute and its impact on decision making; and identify ethical and other best practice implications. Chapter Three studies the construction of juvenile restorative justice in Italy and Chile, how these policies are implemented in practice, and how families participate in these processes. Chapter Four discusses youth transitions and social exclusion through an empirical study of young ex-offenders'reintegration in China.
Linking Disorders to Delinquency: Treating High-Risk Youth in the Juvenile Justice System by 
Not So Nice: Girls' Delinquency Issues by
Girls' delinquency has attracted the attention of federal, state, and local policymakers for more than a decade as girls have increasingly become involved in the juvenile justice system. For girls, the key risk factors for delinquency and incarceration are family dysfunction, trauma and sexual abuse, mental health and substance abuse problems, high-risk sexual behaviors, school problems and affiliation with deviant peers. The authors of this book examine the developmental sequences of girls' delinquent behavior, as well as the factors that protect girls against delinquency. In addition, issues such as patterns of offending among adolescents are explored and how they differ for girls and boys. The causes and correlates of girls' delinquency are discussed as well. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.
Theories of Delinquency: An Examination of Explanations of Delinquent Behavior by
Theories of Delinquency is a comprehensive survey of the theoretical approaches towards understanding delinquent behavior. Donald Shoemaker aptly presents all major individualistic and sociological theories in a standard format with basic assumptions, important concepts, and critical evaluations. Theories covered include biological and psychological explanations, anomie and social disorganization, differential association, drift theory, labeling theory, critical theories, and explanations of female delinquency. Now in its sixth edition, Theories of Delinquency contains up-to-date discussions based on current research throughout, extensive revisions to control theories, especially the general theory of crime, and expanded coverage of integrated and cutting-edge theories. Clearly written, consistently organized, and now thoroughly updated, Theories of Delinquency remains essential reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of crime and delinquency.
Trauma and Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Research and Interventions by
Learn how and why trauma is relevant to juvenile delinquencyand what to do about it! This groundbreaking book addresses the connection between childhood trauma and juvenile delinquency. Trauma and Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Research, and Interventions begins with two chapters presenting theoretical models of the relationship between trauma and the development/persistence of antisocial behavior. Another chapter addresses trauma-related assessment issues for juveniles, and several chapters present cutting-edge research on various aspects of the relationship between trauma and delinquency. Finally, several chapters focus on theory-based and empirically supported trauma-focused therapeutic interventions for juvenile delinquents. No other single source provides such breadth and depth of coverage on this topic! From the editor: Disruptive behavior disorders are by far the largest type of mental health referral for children and adolescents, while juvenile crime and violence continue to be major social concerns. Several bodies of literature have converged to suggest that trauma is more than incidental to the problem of juvenile delinquency, it contributes to the problem. Trauma and Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Research, and Interventions explores: how trauma relates to conduct disorder the connection between traumatic victimization and oppositional/defiance problems ways to assess PTSD in adolescents how exposure to violence, delinquent activity, and posttraumatic stress symptomatology are related the unique trauma histories of incarcerated girls and the problems they have adjusting to life within the juvenile justice system how to develop group therapy services for incarcerated male juvenile offenders with PTSD This valuable book also examines the effectiveness of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for boys with conduct problems, MASTR (Motivation - Adaptive Skills - Trauma Resolution) for teens with school-related problems, and CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy) for juvenile delinquents with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Turning the Tide of Male Juvenile Delinquency: The Ocean Tides Approach by
Research evidence now supports the prediction that juvenile delinquents fare significantly better in rehabilitative programs than in youth prisons or home confinement. This book constitutes a groundbreaking, how-to roadmap for developing and implementing an effective rehabilitative program for delinquent youth. Based on a landmark study on the treatment of juvenile delinquents, the book describes a multidisciplinary approach toward solving social problems and illustrates how an integrative model of family counseling can be applied in a residential setting. This program hones the most effective strategies into a single unified evolutionary approach to rehabilitation that will be useful to psychologists, social workers, counselors, and students working with juvenile delinquents.The authors have culled information from sociology, psychology, criminology, and social justice to explain why juveniles commit crimes and have developed strategies toward rehabilitation that directly address the causes. Analyzing data that spans 31 years from a large study of youth offenders that incorporates information from multiple sources, they describe in detail how this model residential treatment and education program provides a viable alternative to youth prison. Chapters address the historical context for present-day treatment of juvenile delinquency and the main components of the program at Ocean Tides, including its underlying philosophy, detailed descriptions of effective interventions, practical strategies for interviewing and working with adolescent male juvenile delinquents, and training programs that can be used in other settings. The book also includes new and important data on the effects of family violence and includes descriptions of how outside consultants can be used to inform treatment and rehabilitation.KEY FEATURES:Describes a proven, multidisciplinary approach to significantly reducing violent behavior among juvenilesBased on a landmark study of an effective rehabilitative programIncludes new and important data on the effects of family violenceGuides professionals in replicating the success of the Ocean Tides programProvides readers with practical strategies for interviewing and working with adolescent male juvenile delinquents
The Age of Culpability: Children and the Nature of Criminal Responsibility by
Why be lenient towards children who commit crimes? Reflection on the grounds for such leniency is the entry point into the development, in this book, of a theory of the nature of criminal responsibility and desert of punishment for crime. Gideon Yaffe argues that child criminals are owed lesser punishments than adults thanks not to their psychological, behavioural, or neural immaturity but, instead, because they are denied the vote. This conclusion is reached through accounts of the nature of criminal culpability, desert for wrongdoing, strength of legal reasons, and what it is to have a say over the law. The centrepiece of this discussion is the theory of criminal culpability. To be criminally culpable is for one's criminal act to manifest a failure to grant sufficient weight to the legal reasons to refrain. The stronger the legal reasons, then, the greater the criminal culpability. Those who lack a say over the law, it is argued, have weaker legal reasons to refrain from crime than those who have a say. They are therefore reduced in criminal culpability and deserve lesser punishment for their crimes. Children are owed leniency, then, because of the political meaning of age rather than because of its psychological meaning. This position has implications for criminal justice policy, with respect to, among other things, the interrogation of children suspected of crimes and the enfranchisement of adult felons -- Provided by the publisher.
Conducting Research in Juvenile and Criminal Justice Settings by
The growth of the criminal justice system poses a number of significant problems that require ongoing research efforts by scholars across multiple disciplines. Despite the impact that the criminal justice system has on client populations served by social workers and related professions, there are few practical sources available to guide research in these settings. Conducting Research in Juvenile and Criminal Justice Settings: Strategies and Issues fills this gap and represents a cutting-edge yet user friendly book that will be of interest not only to researchers but also to graduate students and agency administrators. This book covers major issues in conducting field research with adults and juveniles and using extant and administrative data sources on criminal justice populations. In particular, the chapters explore the many challenges that often arise in criminal justice settings and offer practical strategies to issues such as how to gain and maintain IRB approval, how to manage a project across multiple agencies, courts, and institutions, and how to maintain relationships with key stakeholders. Furthermore, discussion of issues related to planning a research project in adult and juvenile justice settings, including research designs, recruitment, and retention, are delineated. An extensive bibliographic description of data sources, case studies, and research forms and letters is included.
Justice for Kids: Keeping Kids Out of the Juvenile Justice System by
Children and youth become involved with the juvenile justice system at a significant rate. While some children move just as quickly out of the system and go on to live productive lives as adults, other children become enmeshed in the system, developing deeper problems and or transferring into the adult criminal justice system. Justice for Kids is a volume of work by leading academics and activists that focuses on ways to intervene at the earliest possible point to rehabilitate and redirect—to keep kids out of the system—rather than to punish and drive kids deeper. Justice for Kids presents a compelling argument for rethinking and restructuring the juvenile justice system as we know it. This unique collection explores the system's fault lines with respect to all children, and focuses in particular on issues of race, gender, and sexual orientation that skew the system. Most importantly, it provides specific program initiatives that offer alternatives to our thinking about prevention and deterrence, with an ultimate focus on keeping kids out of the system altogether.Children and youth become involved with the juvenile justice system at a significant rate. While some children move just as quickly out of the system and go on to live productive lives as adults, other children become enmeshed in the system, developing deeper problems and or transferring into the adult criminal justice system. Justice for Kids is a volume of work by leading academics and activists that focuses on ways to intervene at the earliest possible point to rehabilitate and redirect—to keep kids out of the system—rather than to punish and drive kids deeper. Justice for Kids presents a compelling argument for rethinking and restructuring the juvenile justice system as we know it. This unique collection explores the system's fault lines with respect to all children, and focuses in particular on issues of race, gender, and sexual orientation that skew the system. Most importantly, it provides specific program initiatives that offer alternatives to our thinking about prevention and deterrence, with an ultimate focus on keeping kids out of the system altogether.
Juvenile Crime and Justice by
The authors of the 20 chapters in Juvenile Crime and Justice address various hotly debated topics along three loosely connected themes: prevention, prosecution, and corrections. Each author presents arguments both in favor of and opposed to various treatments, programs, and punishments, examining issues such as youth curfews, juveniles in adult courts, legal representation for juveniles, juvenile boot camps, group homes, out-of-home placement, and more. The chapters included cover the leading arguments pertaining to key topics in this field and point out where more research needs to be done–which, at present, includes many of the most controversial issues in juvenile justice policy.The SeriesThe five brief, issues-based books in SAGE Reference's Key Issues in Crime & Punishment Series offer examinations of controversial programs, practices, problems or issues from varied perspectives. Volumes correspond to the five central subfields in the Criminal Justice curriculum: Crime & Criminal Behavior, Policing, The Courts, Corrections, and Juvenile Justice. Each volume consists of approximately 20 chapters offering succinct pro/con examinations, and Recommended Readings conclude each chapter, highlighting different approaches to or perspectives on the issue at hand. As a set, these volumes provide perfect reference support for students writing position papers in undergraduate courses spanning the Criminal Justice curriculum. Each title is approximately 350 pages in length.
Prelude to Prison: Student Perspectives on School Suspension by
By the close of the twentieth century, the United States became known for its reliance on incarceration as the chief means of social control, particularly in poor communities of color. The carceral state has been extended into the public school system in these communities in what has become known as the'school-to-prison pipeline.'Through interviews with young people suspended from school, Weissman examines the impact of zero tolerance and other harsh disciplinary approaches that have transformed schools into penal-like institutions. In their own words, students describe their lives, the challenges they face, and their efforts to overcome those challenges. Unlike other studies, this book illuminates the students'perspectives on what happens when the educational system excludes them from regular school.Weissman draws attention to research findings that suggest punitive disciplinary policies and practices resemble criminal justice strategies of arrest, trial, sentence, and imprisonment. She demonstrates how harsh school discipline prepares young people from poor communities of color for their place in the carceral state. An invaluable resource for policy makers, Prelude to Prison presents recommendations for policy, practice, and political change that have the potential to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.
The School-to-Prison Pipeline: A Comprehensive Assessment by
The only text to fully address the causes, impact, and solutions to the school-to-prison pipelineThe expanded use of zero tolerance policies and security measures in schools has exponentially increased arrests and referrals to the juvenile courtsóoften for typical adolescent developmental behaviors and low-level misdemeanors. This is the first truly comprehensive assessment of the ìschool-to-prison pipelineîóa term that refers to the increased risk for certain individuals, disproportionately from minority and impoverished communities, to end up ensnared in the criminal justice system because of excessively punitive disciplinary policies in schools. Written by one of the foremost experts on this topic, the book examines school disciplinary policies and juvenile justice policies that contribute to the pipeline, describes its impact on targetedóboth intentionally and unintentionallyóchildren and adolescents, and recommends a more supportive and rehabilitative model that challenges the criminalization of education and punitive juvenile justice.The book outlines effective policies, interventions, and preventative efforts that can be used to improve school climates and safety. The author includes specific recommendations for delinquency, detention, and incarceration prevention. The text incorporates a vast store of empirical knowledge from all relevant fields of study and includes research citations for more in-depth study. Case examples illuminate the plight of adolescents enmeshed in these systems along with effective interventions. The book is a vital resource for undergraduate and graduate students of social work and criminal justice as well as for juvenile court and school personnel and policymakers. Key Features: Provides a comprehensive assessment of the school-to-prison pipeline Recommends a supportive and rehabilitative model that decriminalizes education and challenges punitive juvenile justice Written by one of the foremost national experts on this topic Identifies the major risk factors for involvement in the pipeline About the Author:Christopher A. Mallett, JD, PhD, MSW, is Professor and BSW Program Director, School of Social Work, Cleveland State University. He is licensed in Ohio as an attorney and independent social worker. His research focuses on children and adolescents with disabilities and their involvement with the mental health system, school districts (special education), child welfare, and juvenile courts, with a focus on the impact of comorbid problems and juvenile justice system outcomes. Dr. Mallett is a consultant whose expertise is nationally tapped by juvenile courts, school districts, and childrenís service agencies, including serving on the Schools to Juvenile Justice Technical Assistance Training Team (2013 to present) sponsored by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). He has published over 55 journal papers, national training briefs, and book chapters, as well as a textbook, Linking Disorders to Delinquency: Treating High Risk Youth in the Juvenile Justice System (2013).
Youth in the Adult Criminal Justice System by
Since the world's first juvenile court was founded in Chicago, our legal system has recognized a separate mandate to rehabilitate youth with an approach that is different than adults. Today, all 50 states and the District of Columbia and the federal government have two distinct systems for dealing with adults and juveniles, and corrections systems kept pace by developing different systems for dealing with the youth. While the majority of youth arrested for criminal acts are prosecuted in state juvenile justice systems, a significant proportion of youth are handled by adult criminal justice agencies. This book examines the issues, impacts and options facing corrections when they manage youth in the adult system, with a focus on raising awareness of these issues, and finding the best ways to curb juvenile delinquency in correctional settings.
No Matter How Loud I Shout: A Year in the Life of Juvenile Court by
"In an age when violence and crime by young people are again on the rise, No Matter How Loud I Shout offers a rare look inside the juvenile court system that deals with these children and the impact decisions made in those courts had on the rest of their lives. Granted unprecedented access to the Los Angeles Juvenile Court, including the judges, the probation officers, and the children themselves, Edward Humes creates an unforgettable portrait of a chaotic system that is neither saving our children in danger nor protecting us from adolescent violence. Yet he shows us there is also hope in the handful of courageous individuals working tirelessly to triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds. Weaving together a poignant, compelling narrative with razor-sharp investigative reporting, No Matter How Loud I Shout is a revealing and shocking journey through the most neglected -- yet most important -- rooms in America's courthouses." -- Back cover.
Social Work in Juvenile and Criminal Justice Systems by 
Burning Down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison by
"When teenagers scuffle during a basketball game, they are typically benched. But when Will got into it on the court, he and his rival were sprayed in the face at close range by a chemical similar to Mace, denied a shower for twenty-four hours, and then locked in solitary confinement for a month. One in three American children will be arrested by the time they are twenty-three, and many will spend time locked inside horrific detention centers that defy everything we know about how to rehabilitate young offenders. In a clear-eyed indictment of the juvenile justice system run amok, award-winning journalist Nell Bernstein shows that there is no right way to lock up a child. The very act of isolation denies delinquent children the thing that is most essential to their growth and rehabilitation: positive relationships with caring adults. Bernstein introduces us to youth across the nation who have suffered violence and psychological torture at the hands of the state. She presents these youths all as fully realized people, not victims. As they describe in their own voices their fight to maintain their humanity and protect their individuality in environments that would deny both, these young people offer a hopeful alternative to the doomed effort to reform a system that should only be dismantled. Burning Down the House is a clarion call to shut down our nation's brutal and counterproductive juvenile prisons and bring our children home. "-- Provided by publisher.
Juvemile Arrest in America: Race, Social Class, and Gang Membership by
Tapia studies how race, social class, and gang membership interact to shape arrest patterns for American youth. With differences in delinquency level controlled for the various subgroups of youth in the study, a critical test of labeling theory is executed. Modeling how social class and gang membership condition race effects lends more clarity to the contours of arrest risk for America’s youth. Gang membership and social class also interact in surprising and interesting ways. Some findings are paradoxical, even counterintuitive. The insights obtained will inform the ongoing federal research initiative known as Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) in new and exciting ways.
Juvenile Homicide: Fatal Assault or Lethal Intent? by
Warley's work focuses on male-to-male violent juvenile encounters. Using a multi-perspective framework that encompasses strain theory, social disorganization theory, the subculture of violence thesis, as well as theories of criminal lethality and compulsory masculinity, background characteristics are assessed to delineate structural-cultural factors that dispose adolescent males to violence. Consideration is also given to crime characteristics that differentiate impulsive killing from premeditated homicide. Disentangling weapon instrumentality effect from offenders'intentionality is a primary concern. Results confirm theoretical predictions and empirical literature regarding male honor contest violence, as well as the independent affect of specific intent to do harm on incident outcome (i.e. aggravated assault vs. homicide) in violent, juvenile male-to-male encounters.
Juvenile Homicides: A Social Disorganization Perspective by
Laurikkala studies youth homicides between 1965 and 1995 in Chicago. She considers variables relating to the offender, victim, setting, and precursors to the homicide by race and gender. Her results indicate that youth homicides involved increases in lethal gang altercations, particularly among Latinos, and an increased use of automatic weapons. Young females had very little impact on homicide rates in Chicago. The findings point to several measures of social disorganization that could aid in the prediction of youth homicides, albeit varying across groups. Overall, the results support social disorganization theory and also underscore the relevancy of data disaggregation by gender and race/ethnicity.
Juvenile Incarceration and Reentry: A Photovoice Study by
This Photovoice study explored youth crime from the perspective of young men who have experienced incarceration. Participant-generated photographs and captions provide visual entry into the lives of these adolescents as they navigate the reentry process. The images and stories shared reflect their transition across three situations -- pre-incarceration, confinement, and reentry process. The study brings to light their perceptions and understandings of the risk and protective factors evident at each stage. The findings from this study include the voices of youth who have lived these experiences, an essential contributing component to the literature about this phenomenon.
Perspectives on Juvenile Offenders by
Administering justice to juvenile offenders has largely been the domain of the states, and as a result of this the laws that pertain to juvenile offenders can vary widely from state to state. This book analyzes the current federal legislation that impacts the state juvenile justice systems. It also provides an overview of research on the deterrent effects of transferring youth from juvenile to criminal courts. In addition, this book examines juvenile suicides that occurred in confinement. It describes the demographic characteristics and social history of victims and examines the characteristics of the facilities in which the suicides took place. Drawing on this data, the researchers offer recommendations to prevent suicides in juvenile facilities. Moreover, this book analyzes the prevalence and overlap of substance-related behaviors among youth, with comparisons by age group, gender and race/ethnicity. The analysis shows that a youth who engages in one substance-related behavior is much more likely to engage in another. This book presents information that can help the juvenile justice system detect youth with psychiatric disorders and respond with an integrated system of services. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.
The Paradox of Youth Violence by