ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the reader a brief overview of the problem of juvenile delinquency, the operations of the juvenile justice system, and the major issues currently facing that system. The most common source of information on delinquency is the official records of the criminal and juvenile justice system. Self-report surveys have a long history in juvenile justice. The different sources of delinquency data show both similarities and differences. The extent of gang deviance is very difficult to gauge, particularly given the varied definitions one can use to identify a gang. The chapter examines the critical decision points in the juvenile court process: detention, intake, waiver, adjudication, and disposition. It looks at the roles the various court personnel play in the court process. The chapter also examines the controversial issues facing juvenile court, such as the question of how adversarial the attorneys in juvenile court should be and whether juveniles should have the right to a jury trial.
