Module 1

Question 0

1b. What are the three primary types of groups that juvenile courts deal with? How are distinctions made among these three groups of juveniles?

Answer 0

The 3 groups are

1. Delinquents - Committing an act that is illegal for adults
2. Status offenses - Illegal for juvies but not adults
3. Dependent/Neglected - Usually in the situation because of others ( no legal guardian )

Question 1

1a. What is juvenile delinquency and how does it differ from the definition of crime?

Answer 1

• behavior that violates the legal codes in a given jurisdiction for juveniles
• A delinquency is a behavior that would be a crime if the juvy was an adult

Question 2

1c. Historically, how was the term “delinquency” originally used, and provide a justification for how this was used to refer to juveniles who commit crimes. Also, where and when was this term first used in this context?

Answer 2

• Delinquent was originally used to describe someone not living up to societies standards
• It was changed to basically say its not all the childs fault
• The term was first used in that context in London in 1817

Question 3

1e. Provide several examples of “status offenses”.

Answer 3

-Running away, not following school rules(unruly and incorrigible) smoking tobacco, curfew etc

Question 4

Also, what is the primary criticism of the juvenile court when it comes to including these types of offenses as violations.

Answer 4

-It casts to wide of a net, any juvenile can be sent to juvenile court system

Question 5

How do modern day perspectives and attitudes differ from those of the time at which status offenders were originally included in juvenile court systems.

Answer 5

-Back in the 1800s and 1900s it was good to send kids to jail, it was thought to be a good cure all kind of thing to solve societal problems, now it is not a good thing we want to keep them out

Question 6

1f. What is the “motto” of virtually all juvenile courts across the US, both at the formation of juvenile courts and currently?

Answer 6

Best interest of the child

Question 7

1g. From what types of courts were juvenile courts formed?

Answer 7

Chancery Courts

Question 8

Explain the types of courts that these were (which has implications for various processes such as burden of proof, etc.) and the history of why such courts that the juvenile courts were based on were created originally (hint: it had to due with large amounts of deaths in the Middle Ages).

Answer 8

Chancery courts were civil not criminal courts created because of the Bubonic Plague where many parents died and left many kids orphans. The courts were made to look over them and their estate until they were adults

Question 9

1h. Specify and explain at least two ways that juvenile offending differs significantly from adult offending. Elaborate in your discussion on why these differences are important.

Answer 9

• Most juvy offenses are committed in groups while most adults commit crimes alone.
• They both commit crimes at different times