A New Approach to Juvenile Justice
Stephen Stivason
Strayer University
Juvenile Delinquency and Justice
September 7, 2011

Introduction There is little doubt that there is a fundamental problem with the contemporary American approach to juvenile justice. That is because the focus of the U.S. juvenile justice system is heavily based on procedural safeguards that protect juvenile rights whereas there may be more important concerns. Certainly, the rights of juvenile defendants must be protected and sentences should continue to reflect the different needs and capacity for reform of juvenile offenders as compared to their adult counterparts. However, much more emphasis should be devoted to the prevention of juvenile crime by addressing fundamental factors believed to be responsible for it. From a cost-benefit analysis, preventing juvenile criminal involvement is much more important than focusing on reform and on other aspects of criminal justice that are only triggered after criminal activity is perpetrated. In principle, it is much more beneficial to society—as well as to potential juvenile offenders—to provide the necessary assistance and opportunities to prevent criminal inclination rather than devoting the bulk of resources to offenders.
Recognizing the Principle Causes of Juvenile Crime Generally, some of the most important causes of juvenile crime are: (1) Social Control Theory issues, (2) lack of supportive family environment and structure, (3) exposure to deviant criminality in high-crime communities, and (4) lack of opportunities for positive community involvement. The proposed plan for reducing juvenile crime, therefore, will address those three causes and suggest an approach to mitigate their detrimental impact on at-risk youth and, simultaneously, on society.

Social Control Theory Issues There is a consensus among contemporary