ABSTRACT
The underlying philosophy of the juvenile justice system is the belief that young offenders are developmentally different from adult criminals. Thus, a separate justice system is preferable for juveniles who commit delinquent or criminal acts because they lack the emotional and/or psychological ability to fully appreciate the consequences of their actions, not only for themselves but others as well. Because juvenile offenders are developmentally immature many people consider them to be less culpable or deserving of blame than adult offenders (Campaign for Youth Justice, 2011; Richards, 2011) and this seems to hold true historically (Blackstone, 1759). In addition, studies show that the public largely favors the differential treatment of juvenile and adult offenders (Cauffman & Steinberg, 2012; Clarke, 2005; Scott, Reppucci, Antonishak, & DeGennaro, 2006).
