NCJ Number
200098
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 45 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2003 Pages: 19-41
Date Published
January 2003
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This article examines the role of parents in the juvenile justice system.
Abstract
The authors engaged in a conceptual analysis and a phenomenological inquiry of parents with a son convicted of criminal counts in the youth justice system of Western Canada. Parents of offending children are often faced with the onerous task of being the primary providers of supervision, prevention, and treatment for their at-risk youth. Despite the high expectations placed on parents, when their children enter the juvenile justice system, scant support is offered to parents. Sixty parents participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews to discover elements of stress and loss, levels of perceived support, justice system constraints, and restricted participation in the justice process. A content analysis of the interviews revealed that parents experienced a great deal of stress and loss that was not acknowledged by the justice system or the community. Parents reported working hard to fulfill often contradictory juvenile justice system mandates. Parents reported encountering systematic injustices and exclusion from participation within the justice system at all levels. The authors discuss the implications of excluding parents from the juvenile justice discourse that profoundly affects themselves and their children. Systematic changes to the juvenile justice system are offered that are based on a community change approach to juvenile justice, which enhances parental support and power. References