Criminal Justice Responses to Juvenile Delinquency

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue seeks cutting-edge research on criminal justice responses to juvenile delinquency, a complex issue with long-term implications for adolescent development, public safety, and broader social costs. The urgency of this topic is underscored by ongoing debates about how youth should be evaluated and treated in justice systems at a time when many jurisdictions are simultaneously expanding diversion initiatives while reconsidering punitive measures such as direct file to adult court.

At intake, discrepancies are observed in the use of risk assessments amid significant debate concerning their efficacy and appropriateness (Martínez-Garay 2023; Petkus et al. 2022). Likewise, the adoption of trauma-informed screening remains inconsistent despite mounting evidence linking early adversity to juvenile behavior and ancillary outcomes (Baglivio et al. 2014, Felitti et al. 1998; Kerig et al. 2024; Yohros 2023). New findings on cumulative socioeconomic and developmental hazards, such as family instability, academic failure, neighborhood deprivation, early exposure to violence, and prior justice involvement, further highlight the stakes for policy and practice (Cauffman et al. 2024). These challenges make clear that developmentally appropriate and proportional responses—grounded in empirical evidence (Branson et al. 2017; Cauffman et al. 2024)—are as pressing as ever.

Against this backdrop, justice responses range widely from community-based interventions to the transfer of youth into adult courts. Such variation offers a natural setting for evaluating which policies best align with the goals of rehabilitation, accountability, and public safety (Steiner and Wright 2006). Given the multidimensional nature of the problem, the scope of research being sought is intentionally broad. The articles for this Special Issue should be attentive to timely and debatable questions, including the continued reliance on contested risk assessments, the uneven uptake of trauma-informed practices, the long-term effects of direct file policies, and the integration of developmental science into justice decision-making. Submissions spanning diverse populations (e.g., dual-process youth, special or understudied populations) and policy variation across jurisdictions are particularly welcome. We also encourage submissions from across countries/states to bolster the evidence-base of this subject matter.

References

Baglivio, Michael T., Nathan Epps, Kimberly Swartz, Mona Sayedul Huq, Amy Sheer, and Nancy S. Hardt. 2014. The prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) in the lives of juvenile offenders. Journal of Juvenile Justice 4(2): 1–17.

Branson, Christopher Edward, Carly Lyn Baetz, Sarah McCue Horwitz, and Kimberly Eaton Hoagwood. 2017. Trauma-informed juvenile justice systems: A systematic review of definitions and core components. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy 9(6): 635–646. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000255

Cauffman, Elizabeth, Marie L Gillespie, Jordan Beardslee, Frank Davis, Maria Hernandez, and Tamika Williams. 2023. Adolescent Contact, Lasting Impact? Lessons Learned From Two Longitudinal Studies Spanning 20 Years of Developmental Science Research with Justice-System-Involved Youths. Psychological Science in the Public Interest 24(3): 133-161. https://doi.org/10.1177/15291006231205173.

Felitti, Vincent J., Robert F. Anda, Dale Nordenberg, Williamson, David F. Williamson, Alison M. Spitz, Valerie Edwards, Mary P. Koss and James S. Marks. 1998. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American journal of preventive medicine 14(4): 245-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8

Kerig, Patricia K., Julian D. Ford, Ava Alexander, and Crosby A. Modrowski. 2024. Interventions for trauma-affected youth in the juvenile justice system: An overview of diagnostic, ethical, and clinical challenges and evidence-based treatments. Psychological Injury and Law 17(3): 199-220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12207-024-09497-5

Martínez-Garay, Lucía. 2023. Evidence-based sentencing and scientific evidence. Frontiers in Psychology 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1309141

Petkus, Amber A., Sullivan, Christopher J. Sullivan, Melissa Lugo, and Jamie Newsome. 2022. The Impact of Risk Assessment on Juvenile Justice Decision-Making and New Adjudication: An Analysis of Usage and Outcome. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice 20(2): 139-163. https://doi.org/10.1177/15412040211061270.

Steiner, Benjamin and Emily Wright. 2006. Assessing the relative effects of state direct file waiver laws on violent juvenile crime: Deterrence or irrelevance?. The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 96: 1451-1478. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40042813

Yohros, Alexis. 2023. Examining the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and juvenile recidivism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 24(3): 1640-1655. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380211073846

Dr. Jamie L. Flexon
Guest Editor

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