Delinquency and Juvenile Justice

Catalog description

This course provides an overview of delinquent behavior, the juvenile justice system, and explanations of juvenile delinquency. To understand the rehabilitative philosophy and fundamental ethics of the juvenile system, and its ongoing tension with the punishment-oriented philosophy of the adult criminal court, the course will cover the meaning and historical origins of delinquency, and the creation of a separate legal system for juveniles. This course analyzes the effects of legal cases on the evolution and functioning of this system. The course will also cover the features of the system from arrest, to intake, to adjudication, and disposition, disparities in each of the stages, and the decision-making and ethical responsibilities of the key actors. Throughout, students will learn what research shows with respect to the operations of the system and the effects of its programs. Also covered will be the extent and effects of delinquency, within the United States and elsewhere in the world, and a survey of the scientific explanations for delinquent behavior.