NCJ Number
61390
Date Published
1978
Length
179 pages
Annotation
FOCUSING ON LEGISLATION IN ENGLAND TO ABATE THE RISING JUVENILE CRIME RATE, THIS VOLUME EXAMINES POLICE ATTITUDES TOWARD YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS AND APPROACHES TO THE PROSECUTION OF DELINQUENTS.
Abstract
THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF POLICE ATTITUDES TOWARD JUVENILE OFFENDERS HAS LED TO THE SYSTEM OF FORMALLY CAUTIONING KNOWN OFFENDERS AS TO THEIR FUTURE CONDUCT, INSTEAD OF TAKING THEM TO COURT. FOR JUVENILES, CAUTIONS ARE WIDELY USED; IN 1973, OVER HALF OF ENGLISH AND WELSH JUVENILES AGED 10 TO 16 WERE CAUTIONED. ONE OF THE FACTORS LEADING TO THIS DISCRETION WAS THE ADVENT OF THE 'JUVENILE LIAISON OFFICER SCHEMES,' A SYSTEM WHICH SETS ASIDE A FEW POLICE OFFICERS TO EXERCISE A SIMPLE FORM OF PREVENTIVE SUPERVISION OVER OFFENDERS WHO HAD BEEN CAUTIONED. EVEN THE METROPOLITAN POLICE, WHICH TRADITIONALLY OPPOSED JUVENILE CAUTIONING, HAD ESTABLISHED THE JUVENILE BUREAU TO FORMALIZE THE SYSTEM. BY 1973, THE FORCE, WHILE STILL CAUTIONING NO ADULT OFFENDERS, WAS CAUTIONING 48 PERCENT OF ITS KNOWN JUVENILE INDICTABLE OFFENDERS. THE MOTIVATING FORCE BEHIND THESE CHANGES WAS A CONTROVERSIAL PIECE OF LEGISLATION--THE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS ACT OF 1969--WHICH THEORIZED THAT DELINQUENCY WAS USUALLY A SYMPTOM OF A DEEPER UNDERLYING MALADJUSTMENT IN THE OFFENDER, AND THAT COURT APPEARANCES CREATED STIGMA AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE AVOIDED WHEREVER POSSIBLE. THUS, NO JUVENILE OFFENDERS UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE WERE TO BE MADE THE SUBJECT OF A COURT ORDER UNLESS IT COULD BE PROVED BOTH THAT THEY HAD COMMITTED THE OFFENSE AND WERE IN NEED OF CARE OR CONTROL. BECAUSE POLICE AND SOCIAL WORKERS WOULD HAVE TO COOPERATE IN THE HANDLING OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS, CONFLICTS HAVE ARISEN OUT OF THE ABSENCE, IN THE 1969 ACT, OF REGULATIONS PROHIBITING THE TRADITIONAL POLICE FROM CAUTIONING OFFENDERS WITHOUT CONSULTING THE SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLICE AND SOCIAL WORKERS ARE FURTHER EXPLORED, AS WELL AS BETWEEN POLICE AND MAGISTRATES. BECAUSE ONE OF THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF POLICE IS THE PREVENTION OF CRIME, THE JUVENILE BUREAU'S EFFORTS IN THE SCHOOLS ARE DESCRIBED. COMMENT IS MADE ON THE LINK BETWEEN TRUANCY AND JUVENILE CRIME, AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS ARE NOTED. A HOME OFFICE CIRCULAR AND NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (WJR)