Perspectives on Juvenile Crime and Justice in Australia (From The Australian Criminal Justice System: The Mid 1980s, P 165-192, 1986, Duncan Chappell and Paul Wilson, eds. -- See NCJ-110891)

• NCJ Number: 110900
• Author(s): J M Murray; A Borowski
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 28 pages
• Sale Source: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

After reviewing juvenile delinquency patterns in Australia, this paper summarizes theories of juvenile delinquency and describes police, courts, and corrections components of the Australian juvenile justice system.

Abstract

Based on arrest statistics, juveniles are increasingly involved in violent crime in Australia, but the absolute numbers involved are very small. Still, the estimates of juvenile delinquency in Australia are crude because of data limitations. After reviewing the various theories of delinquency causes, the limitations of these theories are identified, and the development of a uniquely Australian etiology of delinquency is recommended. Much of the discussion of the police response to juvenile delinquency in Australia focuses on the police policy of cautioning juveniles involved in minor offenses and proactive police delinquency prevention. The structure and operations of children's aid panels (dispositions for minor and first-time offenders who acknowledge guilt) and children's courts (which adjudicate serious juvenile offenses and juveniles who claim their innocence) are discussed. The discussion of juvenile corrections notes the general trend toward reducing institutionalization and expanding the use of community-based alternatives such as probation and community service. Future prospects for Australia's juvenile justice system are considered. 66 footnotes.