Juvenile Justice System: A Psychological Analysis

Intro: There is much criticism, as well as negative connotations, that currently exist within our society in regards to the juvenile justice system (Pierpoint, 2000; White, 2002), and most critics’ opinions have originated from the plethora of different individuals and agencies whom become involved in a delinquent’s life at any given time once they enter into the juvenile system (Pierpoint, 2000; White, 2002). As many scholars have discovered over the course of their research, biological parents have a highly pronounced role in their child’s development starting from their birth and throughout the course of their lifetime (Baer & Maschi, 2003; Church II, MacNeil, Martin, & Nelson-Gardell, 2009; Fletcher, Steinberg, & Williams-Wheeler, 2004; …show more content…
This apparent separation is correlated with society’s constant criticisms and pessimistic attitudes towards the juvenile justice system (Garfinkel, 2010; Pierpoint, 2000; White, …show more content…
For example, when a social worker begins to accept and act within a role other than their implied one, such as the idea of becoming an appropriate adult to a juvenile, their actions have a direct trickle-down effect on the others whom are involved (Brewin, & Bailey, 2004; Pierpoint, 2000; White, 2002). If social workers are now seen as taking on more of the parental role (Brewin, & Bailey, 2004; Pierpoint, 2000; White, 2002), this will bring about a lesser need for parents to perform those types of tasks, but how does everybody involved compensate for their constantly changing status and lack of consistency and