ANNUAL EDITIONS: Juvenile Delinquency and Justice 06/07, Second Edition
UNIT 1. Nature and Extent of DelinquencyPart A. Factors Affecting the Definition of DelinquencyNew! 1. Too Young to Die, Claudia Wallis, Time, March 14, 2005
ROPER v. SIMMONS, No. 03-0633 was argued October 13, 2004. By a vote of 5-4, the U.S. Supreme Court on March 1, 2005 declared the execution of juvenile offenders (under 18) to be unconstitutional. This historic ruling held that the practice violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishments. One of the other reasons cited was that other countries from around the world do not execute juveniles. New! 2. Juvenile Population Characteristics, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2005
This abstract should be used to access the full report via internet. This is the most up-to-date information available to anyone. In order to have expertise and perspective about the juvenile issues, we have to know the size, composition, and other characteristics of the U.S. Juvenile population. 3. The Crackdown on Kids: The New Mood of Meanness toward Children—To Be Young Is to Be Suspect, Annette Fuentes, The Nation, June 15/22, 1998
The statistical facts about juvenile misbehavior and delinquency simply do not support the public perception of the problem, contends Annette Fuentes. She analyzes the definitions of delinquency today compared to those of other times and discusses some of the reasons, including high-profile cases, for the state of affairs. New! 4. Juvenile Offenders: Should They Be Tried in Adult Courts?, Michael P. Brown, USA Today Magazine (Society for the Advancement of Education), January 1998
Our fear of crime and our evolving fear of violent juveniles is causing us to rethink the definition of who is delinquent and criminal and to reexamine the use of criminal sanctions for those youth who threaten us. This selection presents a concise history of our thinking from before the seventeenth century to today. The concept of parens patriae is considered as well as the dimensions of the perceived threat to society. Part B. Measures of DelinquencyNew! 5. Juveniles as Victims, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2005
The OJJDP abstracts—“Juveniles as Victims” and “Juveniles as Offenders”—are quick summaries of the larger database. The full documents on the net provide the most current statistics in this area. Please correlate these statistics to the statistics about the general juvenile population. UNIT 2. Theoretical ViewsPart A. Predisposition to Juvenile Delinquency6. The Coming Crime Wave Is Washed Up, Jacques Steinberg, The New York Times, January 3, 1999
With the recent fall in juvenile crime, many experts are at a loss as to what has caused the decrease in felonies perpetrated by youths. Jacques Steinberg considers some of the theories. New! 7. Kids Who Kill: A Conversation with John Dilulio, Michael Cromartie, Ethics and Public Policy Center, January/February 1997
This conversation is about claims professors Dilulio, Bennett, and Walters asserted in their book, Body Count: Moral Poverty…and How to Win America’s War Against Crime and Drugs. Good ideas are offered and you have to decide if these ideas (theories) will result in good policy. New! 8. Does Kindergarten Need Cops?, Claudia Wallis, Time, December 15, 2003
Claudia Wallis wants to know why there seens to be an upsurge in acting out behavior by even the youngest children. Why so much profanity, biting, kicking, and hitting? These are our future juveniles. 9. Frustrated Officials Find Standard Answers Don’t Suffice, Christi Parsons, Chicago Tribune, April 25, 1999
In a clear and even-handed presentation, Christine Parsons captures the failure of our prior policies and procedures for dealing with juveniles. While under many states’ laws shootings similar to those that occurred in Littleton, Colorado in April 1999 would have been addressed in regular criminal court, however, the youth of the offenders still shocks us. This frustration and confusion points to the need to develop good theory in order to have good policy. 10. Early Violence Leaves Its Mark on the Brain, Daniel Goleman, The New York Times, October 3, 1995
The biology of the brain is examined as a possible factor influencing misbehavior—in this case, violence. Daniel Goleman reports that researchers are careful to avoid the pitfalls of anthropomorphism. The results of work with animals are used to identify behaviors and conditions that would be possible to observe and measure in humans. New! 11. What Makes Teens Tick, Claudia Wallis, Time, May 10, 2004
Yes, a flood of hormones. But are there also structural changes? On top of all these changes in the brain, there is an environment. It isn’t that simple. What type of policy do we have for this developmental stage? Part B. Theories of Delinquency12. Why the Young Kill, Sharon Begley, Newsweek, May 3, 1999
The reasons why the young are turning to violent and deadly behavior over the last few years have been of intense interest to psychologists, peace officers, and indeed, the rest of the world. The killings that have taken place at high schools such as Littleton, West Paducah, and Jonesboro have raised the pre-eminent question of “why?” Sharon Begley reviews possible answers to this question. 13. From Adolescent Angst to Shooting Up Schools, Timothy Egan, The New York Times, June 14, 1998
Much analysis is done about the celebrity cases that appear in written and broadcast media. It would be an error in logic to assume that these cases are symptomatic of an isolated set of causes and pressures. The teens who exhibit less spectacular juvenile misbehavior—“ordinary” delinquency and disorder—are exposed to like causes and social pressures. Understanding the celebrity cases helps us understand the ordinary ones. 14. The Culture of Youth, Marvin E. Wolfgang, Task Force Report: Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Crime, The President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, 1967
Today’s youth operate in a culture in the United States that is rife with conflicting messages. It is even more diverse than when Marvin Wolfgang, an icon in the field, recognized that youth do not necessarily share the culture as adults know it and thus confirmed the use of the term subculture. This timeless article is often overlooked in courses about juvenile delinquency. New! 15. Preventing Crime, Saving Children: Sticking to the Basics, John J. Dilulio Jr., Perspectives, Spring 1998
John Dilulio points out the persistence and damaging impact of the general drug problem among juveniles. Today’s youth are more aware than were earlier generations of the availability of a number of substances that provide psychological, physical, and emotional satisfactions. Alcohol is recognized as one of the most widely abused drugs among juveniles. 16. Boys Will Be Boys, Barbara Kantrowitz and Claudia Kalb, Newsweek, May 11, 1998
Developmental research is beginning to focus more intensely on boys. New findings indicate that there are, in fact, real biological, psychological, and sociological differences between boys and girls. Implications concerning violence and behavior problems are analyzed. 17. Crimes by Girls Flying Off the Charts, Maureen Graham, Rita Giordano, and Christine Bahls, Philadelphia Inquirer, September 29, 1998
This article captures both the emerging importance of the study of delinquent girls and the consternation caused when traditional notions about girls are challenged. The behavior of girls is related to the changing roles of girls and women in the larger society. New! 18. Girls Study Group Launches Web Site, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2005
The emergence of the feminist perspective and the recognition that delinquency is a reality among girls as well as boys in the modern world has occasioned an interdisciplinary effort to organize existing dataand foster new research into the phenomenon. The site has a wealth of information. The lead investigator for this group, RTI International in North Carolina, is Dr. Margaret Zahn. Part C. Correlations of Delinquency19. The Real Root Cause of Violent Crime: The Breakdown of the Family, Patrick Fagan, Vital Speeches of the Day, February 5, 1995
Patrick Fagan’s address has earned national attention. It is a vigorous critique of social policy based on social welfare concepts and a vigorous defense of emerging views concerning parental responsibility. 20. When Our Children Commit Violence, Ann F. Caron, Loyola Magazine, 1998
Ann Caron, a psychologist and parent, addresses the issue of parenting and particularly parents’ responsibility for the conduct of their children. The article asks, “Who is teaching the children?” and examines the role of parents in raising civilized children. There may be some who disagree with the opinion offered, but the article must be read and understood in the context of a humanist perspective. 21. The Children’s Crusade, Elizabeth Gleick, Time, June 3, 1996
The politics of improving the lives of children are described in this story of a grassroots effort to shift public priority into healthy families and healthy environments. Through this campaign, the Children’s Defense Fund reinforced the popular view that more resources need to be allocated to children. New! 22. The Victims of Victims, Steve Bogira, The Chicago Reader, October 1, 2004
When we think about victims we generally have some sympathy for them. It may be fair to ask if some of the offenders are also victims, victims of generations of abuse and bureaucratic neglect. Just who is responsible for all the victimization and how is that conclusion justified? Where do you fall on this issue? New! 23. An Epoch of Cheating, Chicago Tribune, June 22, 2003
Why is the steroid cheating scandal such a circus? Enron, World Com, Merril Lynch, corked bats (break my Chicago heart) and the Steinmetz High School cheating scandal should have alerted us by now. Yes, cheating has filtered down to our children. So has lying and stealing. There are models for delinquency broadcast all over the place. Where can we go for the appropriate role models? New! 24. The Trouble with Ecstasy, Greg Raver-Lampman, Washingtonian, April 2003
Ecstasy—or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)—acts biologically to release serotonin, a mood-controlling neurotransmitter. It has gained great popularity at various times and in various places in its history and, as is the case with many other of the addictive drugs, there is money to be made in its production and distribution. The article spends some time discussing the intricately complex relationships among government intervention, spread of use to suburban and urban schools, and the value of the substance and opinions about appropriate ways to deal with MDMA today. This is a good opportunity to discuss issues of decriminalization, legalization, and the role of the medical system in drug addiction. 25. A Sad Fact of Life: Gangs and Their Activities Are Spreading into Small-Town America, Arthur G. Sharp, Law and Order, July 1996
Surveys indicate that the majority of police agree that gangs are a problem in their communities. Some minority groups, on the other hand, perceive the interest in gangs more as a race issue than one of disorder. The spread of urban behavior into previously rural areas brings some unwelcome activities. 26. Criminal Behavior of Gang Members and At-Risk Youths, C. Ronald Huff, Research Preview, National Institute of Justice, October 1998
C. Ronald Huff’s report presents an update on some elements of gang life. It makes an excellent distinction between at-risk youth and gang members, and it shows significant differences between the two in amount and types of delinquency. New! 27. Gang World, Andrew V. Papachristos, Foreign Policy, March/April 2005
This article has to make you think. My protege, Andrew Papchristos, has insightfully tapped into the future. Here we enter the sociological realm of manifest and latent functions. Our policies have global implications as well as impact within our borders. Are there other policies we have that inadvertently foster delinquency? UNIT 3. The Criminal Justice System and JuvenilesPart A. PoliceNew! 28. Statistical Briefing Book, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2005
These sites are the official data about: “Juvenile Justice System Structure and Process,” “Law Enforcement and Juvenile Justice,” “Juveniles in Court,” “Juveniles on Probation,” “Juveniles in Corrections,” and “Juvenile Reentry and Aftercare.” These data sets are very easy to manipulate and access. Again, these are the facts with minimal opinion. You, the reader will be able to make policy and value judgments from the data. 29. Fighting Crime, One Kid at a Time, Isabelle de Pommereau, The Christian Science Monitor, March 10, 1997
The role of the police in regard to the community has been rapidly evolving. Community policing involves a whole new approach to dealing with juveniles. Police behavior as well as underlying attitudes are modifying. This change has implications for the recruitment and training of officers who work with juveniles. 30. Kids and Guns: From Playgrounds to Battlegrounds, Stuart Greenbaum, Juvenile Justice, September 1997
From the police perspective and now from the epidemiological perspective of the Centers for Disease Control, guns are one of the main contributors to today’s crime problem, and especially of the youth violence problem. Controversy rages over the issue of responsible gun ownership. Programs to take and keep guns out of the hands of unsupervised juveniles are suggested in this report. New! 31. Juvenile Felony Defendants in Criminal Courts, Kevin J. Strom, Steven K. Smith, and Howard N. Snyder, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, September 1998
This essay reviews the current state of juvenile defendants who are in the court system. Statistics from 1990-1994 are presented to track the trends of crime among the young. Part B. Courts32. Juvenile Delinquents in the Federal Criminal Justice System, John Scalia, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, February 1997
The U.S. federal system does not have a separate juvenile delinquency component. The definition and procedure for handling juvenile cases is explained by John Scalia. Statistics describe the nature and number of cases in the federal system. 33. With Juvenile Courts in Chaos, Critics Propose Their Demise, Fox Butterfield, The New York Times, July 21, 1997
In this article, Fox Butterfield discusses the nature and extent of the problems of the juvenile court and he explores the pressures caused by an overburdened system. Problems, including the extent to which constitutional procedures and rights of juveniles are threatened, are reviewed. Part C. Corrections34. Juvenile Justice Comes of Age, Donna Lyons, State Legislatures, May 1997
It is important to recognize that all justice must be done in the context of the law as written by legislatures that set the parameters in which justice for juveniles will be done. Donna Lyons shows how several states have overcome political and institutional obstacles to updating and reforming their systems to meet current needs. The role of voters in the change process is highlighted. 35. The Bastard Stepchild of Parens Patriae: The American Juvenile Incarceration Structure, Kenneth Wooden, from Weeping in the Playtime of Others, McGraw–Hill, 1967
Kenneth Wooden was almost prophetic when he wrote this scathing analysis more than 20 years ago. It is crucial to realize that the problems of juveniles are not new and that the problem of juvenile corrections has a long and controversial history. 36. Quick Fix: Pushing a Medical Cure for Youth Violence, Annette Fuentes, In These Times, June 28, 1998
The medical model of human behavior assumes that there may be biological factors that contribute to undesirable behavior—both in mental health and criminal justice areas. Indeed, significant advances have been made in the area of treating psychological diseases with drugs. By extension, it has been proposed that some problematic social behaviors, such as crime and delinquency, may be equally successfully treated with drugs and medicine. The controversy continues to rage. 37. Profits at a Juvenile Prison Come with a Chilling Cost, Fox Butterfield, The New York Times, July 15, 1998
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched investigations into conditions at juvenile institutions in Kentucky, Puerto Rico, Georgia, and Louisiana. Of great concern are such problems as violence by and against detainees, education, crowding, sanitation, and staff competency. Community action groups have become more involved in the problem and some change is beginning. 38. Juvenile Boot Camps: Lessons Learned, Eric Peterson, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, June 1996
This report is an impact evaluation of the three pilot programs funded by OJJDP in 1992. Some success is reported. Seven important lessons about boot camps derive from the evaluation. Boot camps serve a variety of purposes that must be carefully considered before they are established and when evaluating their results. New! 39. A Spotty Record of Health Care at Juvenile Sites in New York, Paul von Zielbauer, The New York Times, March 1, 2005
Once juveniles are in custody, they lose their ability to control parts of their own lives. But they also are removed, usually, from the community of care that surrounded them prior to their incarceration. This may have negative consequences. Yet we go forward and the actors in the juvenile justice process is charged with doing their job in line with the standards of their occupation or profession. That may not always guarantee that what is done to a given juvenile is the best (all things considered) for the juvenile. New! 40. Life Sentences Without Parole Increasingly Imposed on Juveniles, Criminal Justice Newsletter, January 3, 2005
This article is an abstract of the full online publication. In view of the Supreme Court rulings on the death penalty, this may become a major battleground as courts impose life sentences as a last resort. Juvenile life sentences are also the result of some states’ policies (made by our elected representatives) of trying juveniles as adults and enabling adult sentencing for juveniles. 41. Crime and Punishment, Juvenile Division, Patrick T. Murphy, The New York Times, March 28, 1998
This brief article is by the public guardian for Cook County, Illinois. The public guardian is charged with representing children and others who are legally incompetent to protect themselves—people who have no one else to help them. Patrick Murphy tries to tell us what he has learned while protecting children. He makes challenging observations and asks equally challenging questions. UNIT 4. Future ProspectsPart A. Comparative Delinquency StudiesNew! 42. Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice Research: The State of Our Knowledge, Richard R. Bennett, Justice Quarterly, March 2004
As Richard Bennett acknowledges, the events of 9/11 have greatly expanded our world consciousness. For most U.S. students it is a shock to learn that there is a history according to the United States and a history according to other nations in the world. We encounter a similar problem in attempting to learn what the rates of delinquency are across nations. Some of the problem is definitional, some of it is cultural. As in the recent Supreme Court decisions on the Juvenile Death Penalty, the rest of the world is becoming more important for our own growth of knowledge and our development as a nation. New! 43. Criminal Neglect, Joseph A. Califano, Jr. and Charles W. Colson, USA Today, January 2005
Califano and Colson, bitter opponents 30 years ago during the Nixon scandals, are today “brothers in arms” in their concern for juveniles “caught up” in various juvenile justice systems. Please be careful to observe that they are not indicting the whole juvenile justice system. They are more aware of the complexities than to make such a logical error. Look at the bold emphases in the text. Here’s another chance to discuss what might be a model juvenile justice code for the nation. 44. Tokyo’s Teen Tribes, World Press Review, January 1996
Comparative criminology encourages expansion of knowledge by using data from divergent nations to analyze similar problems. This discussion of sex, drugs, and rebellion adds depth and dimension to our studies in the United States. The issues are cultural and subcultural and concern competing cultural values in the shrinking world. Part B. Ideas for the Future45. The National Juvenile Justice Action Plan: A Comprehensive Response to a Critical Challenge, Sarah Ingersoll, Journal of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, September 1997
Written from the perspective of the leading criminal justice agency in the field of juvenile delinquency, the plan is a step toward recognition that the agencies of enforcement and corrections cannot stand alone to solve the problem of delinquency. Solid suggestions relating to enforcement, youth opportunity, and the cycle of violence are provided. 46. Breaking the Cycle of Juvenile Violence, Roger Przybylski, The Compiler, Fall 1997
Many researchers have identified early intervention and prevention as ways to reduce or break the cycle of juvenile violence. Roger Przybylski analyzes the costs and benefits of such programs compared to incarceration and other after-the-fact remedies for behavior. He suggests a program of intervention and prevention. 47. Understanding the Roots of Crime: The Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, Christy A. Visher, National Institute of Justice Journal, November 1994
The best efforts to provide programs and remedies for the problems of juveniles will be blunted unless they are well-grounded in fact and knowledge about the roots of the problem itself. This research, if all goes well, will set the direction for the future and help in the adjustment of present programs for dealing with delinquency. 48. Saving the Nation’s Most Precious Resources: Our Children, Gene Stephens, USA Today Magazine (Society for the Advancement of Education), May 1998
Reflecting the now-famous “It takes a village to raise a child” concept, Gene Stephens provides a view that complements the criminal justice model but really stresses the social service model and names specific programs that have proven their worth. Parent education, mentoring, nonviolent conflict resolution, community school programs, character education, volunteer youth service, restorative justice, and community policing are ideas that are working.
