Juvenile justice : a social, historical, and legal perspective / Preston Elrod, R. Scott Ryder.

The juvenile justice system is a multifaceted entity that continually changes under the influence of decisions, policies, and laws. The all new Third Edition of Juvenile Justice: A Social, Historical, and Legal Perspective, offers readers a clear and comprehensive look at exaclty what it is and how it works. Reader friendly and up-to-date, this text unravels the complexities of the juvenile justice system by exploring the history, theory, and components of the juvenile justice process and how they relate.

The context of juvenile justice : defining basic concepts and examining public perceptions of juvenile crime -- Measuring the extent of juvenile delinquency -- Theory and research : the social context of juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice -- Early juvenile justice : before the juvenile court -- The development of the juvenile court -- Public and police responses to juvenile offenders -- Juvenile diversion -- Preadjudication processes in juvenile justice -- The transfer of juveniles to criminal court -- The contemporary juvenile court -- Community-based corrections programs for juvenile offenders -- Institutional corrections programs for juvenile offenders -- The status offender in juvenile justice -- Juvenile justice and the serious, chronic, or violent juvenile offender -- Present conditions and future directions in juvenile justice -- Working in juvenile justice.

Includes bibliographical references and index.