Chapter One
STATISTICS AND TRENDS IN JUVENILE
JUSTICE AND FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
C. Draven Godwin
Jeffrey L. Helms
As members of American society, it is difficult for us to avoid headlines such
as "Violent kids can't be reformed," "Taming teenage wolf packs," and
"Kids who are still killers." Found in widely read news sources such as the
Washington Post, USA Today, and US News & World Report, such headlines influence
the perception of the general U.S. public about juvenile crime, lead people
to demand an immediate response to the fears they now feel, and thus
support the development of laws that overlook the tedious task of preventing
youth crime and rehabilitating youthful offenders.
This chapter is intended to provide the facts about youth crime trends, based
on national data, examples of state initiatives, and a glimpse into the legal and
policy issues that affect juveniles processed through the juvenile justice system.
This information is extremely important to all mental health professionals
working with children. Our perceptions are influenced by the information
we see, hear, ... read full excerpt from California School of Professional Psychology Handbook of Juvenile Forensic Psychology ebook
