ABSTRACT
Donald J. Black and Albert J. Reiss conducted a large-scale study of law enforcement’s handling of juvenile delinquency cases in the cities of Boston, Chicago, and Washington, DC.2 The researchers observed that law enforcement encounters with juveniles are generally initiated by citizen complaints. Observational research regarding law enforcement discretion indicates that there are certain situational factors that influence law enforcement decisions as to whether the youth should be arrested. Those factors are include:
The seriousness of the offense.•
Who is present at the scene of the arrest.•
Whether victims or witnesses provide information or lobby for • an arrest.
