"Juvenile court, also known as young offender's court or children's court, is a tribunal having special authority to pass judgments for crimes that are committed by children who have not attained the age of majority."
The laws and procedures that govern how criminal cases involving minors are handled, including the role of parents or legal guardians in the process.
Juvenile delinquency: A broad term that refers to criminal behavior committed by juveniles, typically defined as individuals under 18 years of age.
Juvenile justice system: A specialized court system that focuses on juvenile offenders and is separate from the adult criminal justice system.
Juvenile court procedures: The steps involved in the adjudication of juvenile cases, including intake, detention, trial, and disposition.
Juvenile sentencing: The process of determining the appropriate punishment for a juvenile offender, which may include probation, community service, counseling, or detention.
Juvenile probation: A type of sentence that allows a juvenile offender to remain in the community under the supervision of a probation officer.
Juvenile detention: A type of sentence that involves confinement in a secure facility for a specified period of time.
Restorative justice: An approach to criminal justice that emphasizes the restoration of relationships between victims, offenders, and communities.
Rehabilitation: A goal of the juvenile justice system that focuses on treating the underlying causes of delinquent behavior through counseling, therapy, and other interventions.
Recidivism: The tendency for individuals who have been involved in the criminal justice system to reoffend and become repeat offenders.
Youth rights: The legal and ethical principles that apply to young people, including the right to a fair trial, education, and care.
Prevention: Strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of juvenile delinquency, such as early intervention, mentoring programs, and community engagement.
Juvenile diversion: An alternative to formal court processing that allows first-time offenders to participate in community-based programs instead of going to court.
Status offenses: Acts that are only considered offenses because the offender is a minor, such as truancy or curfew violations.
Transfer laws: Laws that allow juveniles to be tried and sentenced as adults for certain serious offenses.
Disproportionate minority contact: The overrepresentation of minority youth in the juvenile justice system, which is a concern for equity and fairness.
Diversion Programs: These programs aim to divert juvenile offenders from the formal justice system and instead offer treatment or counseling for their behavior.
Detention Centers: Detention centers are used to hold juvenile offenders who have been deemed too dangerous or too much of a flight risk to be released before their court date.
Probation: Juvenile probation is a form of supervision where an offender is released into the community while being supervised by a probation officer.
Restorative Justice: This approach encourages youth participation in making amends for their actions, repairing any harm they have caused, and providing compensation to the victims.
Rehabilitation Centers: These facilities provide treatment and counseling for juvenile offenders in order to help them reintegrate into society.
Boot Camps: These programs are designed to instill discipline and self-control into juvenile offenders by using a combination of physical training and military-style discipline.
Residential Treatment Centers: These are long-term centers providing intensive counseling and treatment for juvenile offenders with specific needs.
Community Service: This type of juvenile justice punishment requires the offender to perform a certain number of hours of community service to make amends for their actions.
Counseling and Therapy: These programs provide counseling and therapy to juvenile offenders who need help with mental health or substance abuse issues.
Confinement in Adult Facilities: In some states, juvenile offenders who are deemed too dangerous can be tried and sent to adult prisons.
"Children who commit a crime are treated differently from legal adults that have committed the same offense."
"Industrialized countries differ in whether juveniles should be charged as adults for serious crimes or considered separately."
"Since the 1970s, minors have been tried increasingly as adults in response to 'increases in violent juvenile crime'."
"Young offenders may still not be charged as adults."
"Serious offenses, such as murder or rape, can be prosecuted through adult court in England."
"As of 2007, no United States data reported any exact numbers of juvenile offenders prosecuted as adults."
"Countries such as Australia and Japan are in the early stages of developing and implementing youth-focused justice initiatives."
"The United Nations has encouraged nations to reform their systems to fit with a model in which 'entire society [must] ensure the harmonious development of adolescence' despite the delinquent behavior."
"The hope was to create a more 'child-friendly justice'."
"The rules in practice are less clear cut."
"Changes in a broad context cause issues of implementation locally."
"International crimes committed by youth are causing additional questions regarding the benefit of separate proceedings for juveniles."
"Issues of juvenile justice have become increasingly global in several cultural contexts."
"As globalization has occurred in recent centuries, issues of justice, and more specifically protecting the rights of children as it relates to juvenile courts, have been called to question."
"Global policies regarding this issue have become more widely accepted."
"A general culture of treatment of children offenders has adapted to this trend."
"A juvenile court, also known as young offender's court or children's court..."
"...committed by children who have not attained the age of majority."
"The United Nations has encouraged nations to reform their systems to fit with a model in which 'entire society [must] ensure the harmonious development of adolescence' despite the delinquent behavior."