Juvenile Justice System: A Psychological Analysis

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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; Garfinkel, 2010; Maschi, Schwalbe, & Ristow, 2013; Vandevivere, Braet, Bosmans, Mueller, & De Raedt, 2014; Varma, 2007; Whelan, 2003; Williams, & Smalls, 2015; Wisconsin Juvenile Justice Practice Model, 2015). As the number of contacts and referrals made within a standard juvenile case continues to be on the rise with new services and referrals constantly becoming available (Pierpont, 2000; White, 2002), a distinct disconnection between the juvenile delinquents and their biological parents is becoming much more noticeable to the general population (Gatti, Tremblay, & Vitaro, 2009; Gauthier, Fortin, & Jéliu, 2004; Taylor & McQuillan, 2014; Whelan, 2003). …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, 2002). With there being so many diverse, active, and distinguished agencies and individuals who become involved in a youth’s life during their time in the system as well as beyond (Garfinkel, 2010; Pierpont, 2000; White, 2002), in addition to the seemingly obvious disconnect, society also forms their opinions on this newly discovered identity crisis beginning to form (Burke, 1991; Pooler, 2008; Siebert & Siebert, 2007; White, 2002). This confusion as to one’s place in the juvenile justice process is not only noted among parents who may no longer see their role as clearly defined, but also among, for example, a youth’s social worker trying to understand what their role in the situation may be without overstepping other’s boundaries (Burke, 1991; Pooler, 2008; Siebert & Siebert, 2007; White, 2002). Research has been completed regarding the topic in order to discover and further understand the true and defined job description for a social worker, and if they are taking on more responsibilities than they are capable of handling at any given time (Garcia, O’Reilly, Matone, Kim, Long, & Rubin, 2015; Wu, & Pooler, 2014). Along with those newly found responsibilities, researchers were able to conclude that social workers are starting to move away from their …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

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