NCJ Number
132080
Date Published
1990
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Approaches to juvenile justice throughout Commonwealth countries have not been uniform, although most jurisdictions have attempted to address the dual nature of the problem (welfare versus criminal).
Abstract
During the 19th century, attention was focused on youthful offenders. Children under 7 years of age were exempted from criminal responsibility, and it was assumed that children between 7 and 14 years of age lacked the capacity to commit crimes. In the United Kingdom and its colonies, efforts were made to develop separate facilities for juvenile offenders. The juvenile court movement perceived youthful offenders as victims of circumstance rather than as criminals, and this movement viewed juvenile courts as a way of protecting young people who were environmentally, socially, and economically disadvantaged. Those at the forefront of juvenile justice reform at the turn of the 19th century advocated a social welfare rather than a criminal justice response to juvenile crime. The emphasis on a social welfare approach later shifted to a justice-oriented approach. All Commonwealth countries have now recognized that juvenile criminality raises issues that are different from those of adult criminality and have tended to deal with the problem using a response that combines welfare and justice approaches. 73 notes