NCJ Number
133026
Date Published
1991
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The essay examines current trends in juvenile justice in the light of three major crime theories.
Abstract
In recent years, the growing disenchantment with the social rehabilitation of juvenile offenders has led to a more punitive approach in many countries. Although scientific theories can never be perfect guides to policy making, they can still help elucidate current and future directions. First, the social control theory is least helpful to policymakers because it emphasizes community, school, and family ties--the institutions least accessible to the law. Second, differential criminology, which claims that the tendency to commit crimes varies from individual to individual, suggests that institutionalizing chronic juvenile offenders would bring about a significant reduction in juvenile delinquency. Third, strategic analysis assumes that a crime results from the offender's rational consideration of all involved factors; this theory suggests that the juvenile's certainty of being punished for any offense would have a strong deterrent effect. To create a realistic certainty of punishment and avoid the overcrowding of juvenile correctional facilities, policymakers would have to emphasize alternatives to imprisonment such as restitution and community work. A bibliography is included.