Offered for Summer 2013 Session for 2 credits with W/WI*
                                    
Examines the rights of children in the context of the juvenile delinquency system. How are children in the juvenile justice system treated differently from adult offenders? To what extent should they be? These questions provide the focus for examining how the state treats the “aberrant” behavior of children. Students are introduced to the legal, social, and historical underpinnings of the juvenile justice system in the United States beginning with founding of the juvenile court in 1899 and then-held assumptions about the nature of childhood. Considers how in the late twentieth century the juvenile court has undergone both ideological and institutional change from its original form. These shifts in theory are analyzed through critical constitutional rights case law, case studies, and potential legal remedies. The evidence of psychological and social science data that have a continuing impact on juvenile court practice and jurisdiction are also explored. In addition, the overlap between the juvenile justice system, the education system, the mental health system and the dependency system are considered. Also examined is how race, gender and poverty affect outcomes for children in delinquency court. Students in this course will have the opportunity to critique a wide range of current juvenile policies (such as zero tolerance and sex offender registration) and research recommendations for reform.