ABSTRACT
Contemporary penal policy for offenders who are under the age of 18 (referred to interchangeably in this chapter as juvenile, child, or youth offenders), including the use of dangerous offender provisions, is predicated on the assumption that it is possible to differentiate children who do from children who do not present an ongoing risk of serious harm to others. Several protocols purport to provide an evidence-based framework for identifying high-risk youth and legal decision-making is heavily influenced by them.
