ABSTRACT
As noted in the previous chapters, until the early 19th century, juveniles over age seven were tried in criminal courts along with adults and imprisoned with them. Children over 14 were automatically deemed responsible for their criminal acts; prosecutors assessed on an individual basis whether juveniles between the ages of 7 and 14 were liable for their actions before they were prosecuted. However, during the 18th and 19th centuries, both actions of reformers and research from the emerging discipline of psychology influenced a shift in society’s views concerning juveniles. An emphasis on the rehabilitation and protection of children began to overshadow traditional punitive thinking. There developed a belief that society had a responsibility to salvage the lives of juvenile offenders before they were lost to the criminal activity in which they were engaged.
