Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Crime
Yakisha Johnson
CJA/204
July 16, 2012
Michael Paris
Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Crime
Delinquency…
Juvenile delinquency consists of any juvenile actions of conduct in violation of juvenile status offenses, criminal law and other juvenile misbehavior. Delinquent is a juvenile term for criminals who have not yet reached adulthood. Delinquent children are those who violate the criminal law and only because they are not adults, the word criminal cannot be applied to them.
Status offenses… When children violate laws that are written solely for them to abide by they are put in the category as a status offender. Status offenders are also referred to as persons in need of supervisions (PINS) in some states. Truancy, running away from home, incorrigibility and vagrancy are all categorized under status offenses. Although an adult can run away from home and not violate any law, the state laws require juveniles to be subjected to parental control.
Juvenile Courts Vs. Adult Courts… The adult and juvenile justice systems share two common characteristics but the proceedings and factors are handled differently. They both rely on due process that is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and they all make claim that the juvenile proceedings should mimic adult due process. Unlike the adult criminal justice system the juvenile justice system’s goal is to protect a youth from harm, to protect a youth’s privacy, and to provide support service s or treatment rather than punishment.
|Justice System |Adults |Juvenile |
|Status in question |To determine guilt or innocence |To determine delinquency |
| | |Act committed or violation of status |
|
Yakisha Johnson
CJA/204
July 16, 2012
Michael Paris
Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Crime
Delinquency…
Juvenile delinquency consists of any juvenile actions of conduct in violation of juvenile status offenses, criminal law and other juvenile misbehavior. Delinquent is a juvenile term for criminals who have not yet reached adulthood. Delinquent children are those who violate the criminal law and only because they are not adults, the word criminal cannot be applied to them.
Status offenses… When children violate laws that are written solely for them to abide by they are put in the category as a status offender. Status offenders are also referred to as persons in need of supervisions (PINS) in some states. Truancy, running away from home, incorrigibility and vagrancy are all categorized under status offenses. Although an adult can run away from home and not violate any law, the state laws require juveniles to be subjected to parental control.
Juvenile Courts Vs. Adult Courts… The adult and juvenile justice systems share two common characteristics but the proceedings and factors are handled differently. They both rely on due process that is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and they all make claim that the juvenile proceedings should mimic adult due process. Unlike the adult criminal justice system the juvenile justice system’s goal is to protect a youth from harm, to protect a youth’s privacy, and to provide support service s or treatment rather than punishment.
|Justice System |Adults |Juvenile |
|Status in question |To determine guilt or innocence |To determine delinquency |
| | |Act committed or violation of status |
|
References: Puzzanchera, C. and Kang, W. (2012). "Easy Access to Juvenile Court Statistics: 1985-2009." Online. Available: http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezajcs/ Schmallager, F. (2011). Criminal justice today: An introductory text for the 21st century (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson/Prentice Hall