Protecting the Rights of Troubled and Troubling Youth: Understanding Attorneys' Perspectives (From Understanding Troubled and Troubling Youth, P 25-37, 1990, Peter E Leone, ed. -- See NCJ-124182)

• NCJ Number: 124184
• Author(s): L M Warboys; C B Shauffer
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 13 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Type: Report (Technical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The views of attorneys toward the needs and rights of deviant youth differ significantly from those of teachers, counselors, social and mental health workers, and other professionals as a result of their fundamentally different ways of viewing the world in general and children in particular.

Abstract

Attorneys look for clear legal definitions, are trained to think in an adversarial way, are part of a system that focuses on right and wrong rather than problemsolving, often focus on procedure over substance, and seek to limit discretion. They often see treatment professionals as insensitive to clients' opinions or even greedy for money or power, while treatment professionals see attorneys as manipulative and arrogant individuals who lack understanding of clients' needs and the pressures that prevent perfect service. However, the best practitioners in both fields have a common interest in the welfare of their clients. The issues that have caused the greatest conflict are the legal definition of a child, decisionmaking by adults on behalf of children, legal limitations on the discretion of treatment providers, and the adversarial system's impact on treatment efforts. One way to help remove barriers between attorneys and other professionals would be to include attorneys in the efforts to coordinate services for children. Note.