NCJ Number
48892
Journal
JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKERS Volume: 20 Issue: 4 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1976) Pages: 250-255
Date Published
1976
Length
6 pages
Annotation
CASE EXAMPLES ILLUSTRATING THE PERSONAL AND FAMILY PROBLEMS OF YOUTHS CLASSIFIED AS STATUS OFFENDERS ARE PRESENTED IN A DISCUSSION OF THE JUVENILE COURT'S JURISDICTION OVER STATUS OFFENSES.
Abstract
THE CASE EXAMPLES ILLUSTRATE BOTH THE TYPES OF FAMILY SITUATIONS THAT LEAD PARENTS TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO JUVENILE COURT, AND SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL INTERVENTIONS BY THE COURT AND BY CHILD CARE PROFESSIONALS. IT IS NOTED THAT STATUS OFFENDERS MISBEHAVE BUT HAVE NOT BEEN CONVICTED OF OF ANY CRIME, YET THEY ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN 200,000 OF THE 600,000 CHILDREN HELD EACH YEAR IN PRETRIAL DETENTION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. STATUS OFFENDERS ARE DESCRIBED AS HAVING A MULTITUDE OF PERSONAL AND FAMILY PROBLEMS AND AS REPRESENTING EVERY ADOLESCENT GROWING PAIN, EVERY FAILURE OF PARENTING, AND EVERY NEGLECT BY SOCIETY. MANY STATUS OFFENDERS ARE MORE ANTISOCIAL AND SELF-DESTRUCTIVE THAN DELINQUENT, BUT THESE INCLINATIONS OFTEN LEAD TO DELINQUENT AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. WITHIN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM THE DEBATE FOCUSES ON WHETHER STATUS OFFENDERS SHOULD REMAIN AT HOME OR BE PLACED IN SMALL GROUP HOMES, FOSTER HOMES, OR REFORMATORIES AND TRAINING SCHOOLS. A KEY QUESTION IS WHETHER JUVENILE COURTS SHOULD RETAIN JURISDICTION OVER STATUS OFFENDERS. ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST ENDING JUVENILE COURT JURISDICTION OVER STATUS OFFENDERS ARE CITED. (LKM)