Legal Changes in Juvenile Justice:

Abstract

The juvenile justice system began as an attempt by the child savers to reform unfortunate youth. As a result of this emphasis, the original goal of the system was to administer individual treatment to youth in a nonadversarial manner. Many changes have occurred to this process over the past 100 years, which have blurred the lines of juvenile and adult justice. It seems that the system no longer knows how to define a child, no longer has treatment as a goal, and often prefers transfer to adult court. This article identifies many changes that have occurred in juvenile justice as well as inconsistencies that exit in juvenile justice policy. The major areas addressed include changes in the court, changes in the schools, and changes in the community. The article concludes with suggestions for needed research in several critical areas.