Juvenile justice and interventions: Balancing the needs of those involved

• In Event: Roundtable: Hot Potato - Blame and Responsibility Surrounding Delinquency and Youth Violence

Abstract

One social sphere that is responsible for responding to juvenile delinquency is the juvenile legal system. In its creation, the juvenile legal system was meant to focus on the needs to the child instead of automatically taking a punitive approach. However, in practice, this becomes quite hard as the court is often balancing the needs of the child, the community, the victim (if there is one), and the expectations of the relevant parties (e.g., the family or the school). The court is unique in that it can order all relevant social spheres to come together to figure out the most effective way to handle the delinquency. This contribution to the discussion will delve into the different avenues that the juvenile legal system takes to handle juvenile delinquency, whether the court should take a more rehabilitative or punitive approach, and how the various social spheres fit within the juvenile legal system. By the time a juvenile is before the judge, all other options have been exhausted. Therefore, it is essential that all social spheres work play an active role in the court proceedings and work with the court to devise an effective intervention plan.

Author

• Sarah Louise Franklin, University of South Carolina