NCJ Number
169041
Date Published
1998
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This chapter contrasts Charles Dickens¦s urban environment with Mark Twain's rural settings and describes some of the developments in the juvenile justice systems of England and America during the 19th century.
Abstract
In both England and America, the 19th century produced substantial change in the law's treatment of juveniles. The first part of the century was dominated by voluntary efforts to aid children and the recognition of the need to separate youthful offenders from adults; the century ended with the establishment of the first official juvenile court in America, and the establishment of juvenile courts and the codification of acts and practices dealing with juveniles in England. Charles Dickens's writings reflect his belief that, if children were provided with a proper education, they would acquire the moral character and work skills that would enable them to make an honest living and shun a life of crime. The children in Mark Twain's writings were products of an agrarian community where street crime was not a common ingredient of daily living. They lived in the kind of setting where young boys, uncared for in New York City, were being sent by the Children's Aid society. References