Teen Court Programs For Juveniles

7 Pages 1861 Words

roblems Associated with Some Teen Courts……………………………………….5

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………….…6

References………………………………………………………………………………8

















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Teen Court Programs for Juveniles


Problems with Juvenile Delinquency

It is no secret that juvenile delinquency is a growing problem in today’s world. Juvenile crime has a huge impact on the nation’s overall crime rates. According to data complied by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in the year 2000 alone, more than one million juveniles were arrested for less serious crimes (including vandalism, liquor law violations, and drug trafficking). Of those more than one million arrests, over 300,000 of them were for status offenses, including 93,000 arrest for running away from home, 106,000 for curfew violations, and 101,000 for liquor law violations (Siegel, Welsh, and Senna, 2003, pg. 34). It is obvious that without proper treatment and prevention programs in place, the growing trend of juvenile crime will continue to rise.
Need for Teen Court
The purpose of this paper is to explore the teen court program and discuss its history, accountability, and theories associated with it. Teen courts usually handle only first time offenders charged with offenses such as theft, misdemeanor assault, disorderly conduct, possession of alcohol, vandalism, and other non-violent status offenses (National Youth Court Center, 2000). In a recent study conducted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, also known as OJJDP, the majority of teen courts surveyed (98%), reported that they ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ accept youth with a prior arrest record (U.S. Department of Justice, 2002). Teen courts take advantage of one of the most powerful forces in the life of a juvenile; this is,...