Introduction to this issue

✍ Scribed by Mark A. Small

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 65 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0735-3936
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0798(199721)15:2<119::aid-bsl264>3.0.co;2-j

✦ Synopsis

At the turn of the century, the image of vulnerable children in need of guidance prompted the establishment of a juvenile justice system that functioned primarily to civilize and socially control youth. Designed to rehabilitate wayward youth, the juvenile court operated on the assumption that children were worthy of redemption and capable of change. As we approach the 100th anniversary of the founding of the first juvenile court in Chicago, Illinois, the image of juveniles has changed. No longer viewed as misguided children who simply need to be pointed toward the straight and narrow path, juveniles often today are seen as incorrigible, and pushed through the gates of the adult criminal system.