NCJ Number
187044
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 51 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2000 Pages: 334-346
Date Published
December 2000
Length
13 pages
Annotation
After a brief discussion of the concept of "juvenile delinquency" in China, this article examines how the Chinese government initially responded to the so-called "juvenile delinquency wave" through comprehensive strategies, mainly focusing on the early social-educational intervention, work-study school, and juvenile reformatory.
Abstract
According to the spirit of the provisions in the Criminal Code, the definition of the "juvenile delinquent" in China is a person between the ages of 14 and 18 who has committed acts that endangered society, violated criminal law, and were liable to punishment according to the criminal law. Only those under the age of 18 may be singled out for special treatment reserved for juveniles under Chinese law. Juvenile delinquency, however, is given a broader scope in this article, as it also includes those who have been sanctioned for misbehaving or minor law infractions. The response to juvenile delinquents in China follows a sequence of steps. Younger juvenile offenders receive early social-education intervention that emphasizes education in the moral imperative of group living. This is implemented in the family, school, and neighborhood. Continuing transgressions may result in the establishment of a local "social-educational team," which takes direct responsibility for reform in the neighborhood setting. If local control fails, the youth may be sent to a work-study school, where stricter supervision is applied. For serious misbehavior, a juvenile may be placed by the police in a juvenile reformatory or a rehabilitation-through-education and labor camp for the term of 1 to 3 years. If juveniles' behavior involves violations of the criminal code, they may be sentenced by the court to a juvenile reformatory. The community's early informal involvement in a juvenile's life may not only suppress the offender's individual expression and lead to a loss of privacy, but it may also create a certain degree of damaging stigma that may alienate the juvenile from the community and further stimulate negative behavior. 20 references