SENSE AND NONSENSE WITH REGARD TO PRACTICES FOR JUVENILE COURTS

• NCJ Number: 68050
• Journal: ANNALES DE VAUCRESSON Dated: SPECIAL NUMBER (JULY 1977) Pages: 121,123-139,141
• Author(s): C LEOMANT
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 19 pages
• Sale Source: Surveillee
• Language: French
• Country: France
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT THE INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM, LYONS (FRANCE), JULY 29-31, 1977

Annotation

THE LOGIC THAT RULES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND JUSTICE FOR MINORS IS INSEPARABLE FROM SOCIALIZATION, A PROCESS THAT IS INFLUENCED BY A MULTITUDE OF SOCIAL VALUES AND CLASS DIFFERENCES.

Abstract

SOCIAL INQUIRIES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS ARE MADE IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MINOR, SO THAT A JUDGE CAN APPRECIATE A JUVENILE'S BACKGROUND. YET, DESPITE THE WILLINGNESS TO PRESENT THE INQUIRIES AND EVALUATIONS IN AN OBJECTIVE MANNER, THE ACCUMULATED DATA IS COLORED BY THE NORMS AND VALUES OF THE SOCIOLOGISTS OR PSYCHOLOGISTS. THEIR PRECONCEIVED DEFINITIONS OF MALADJUSTMENT, DEVIANCE, AND DELINQUENCY CHARACTERIZE THE SUBJECTS OF THEIR INVESTIGATION. MOREOVER, DEVIANCY IS IN MANY CASES ATTRIBUTED TO A LACK OF SOCIALIZATION OR TO SOCIALIZATION INTO A DEVIANT SET OF VALUES. DOMINANT SOCIETY VIEWS ITS NORMS AND VALUES AS THE IMPLICIT, INHERENT FOUNDATIONS OF THE SOCIAL SYSTEM. NEVERTHELESS, BEHIND ANY DEFINITIVE VALUE SYSTEM IS AN ORDER THAT IS NOT NORM-BOUND AND STATIC, BUT EVOLVES FROM HUMAN INTERACTION IN SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS. HUMAN BEINGS ARE PRODUCTS OF MANY AND SOMETIMES CONTRADICTORY INFLUENCES -- FAMILIAL, EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND PEER. IF CERTAIN FAMILY PRACTICES ARE LABELED DEVIANT, THAT DESIGNATION PROBABLY ARISES FROM CLASS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE EVALUATOR AND HIS SUBJECTS. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT CERTAIN SOCIOECOMIC CLASSES APPEAR TO CONSISTENTLY PRODUCE DEVIANT JUVENILES -- THEIR ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN JUDGED DEVIANT FROM THE NORMS OF THE DOMINATING CLASSES. AT THE SAME TIME, THESE DEVIATIONS MAY NOT APPEAR ABERRANT IN THE EYES OF THE JUVENILES' FAMILIES AND THEIR MILIEU. THUS, WHEN JUVENILES AND 'EDUCATED' AND 'TREATED' BY THE DOMINANT CLASSES, VIEWS ARE IMPOSED ON THEM THAT CONFLICT WITH THE VALUES OF THEIR ORIGINAL ENVIRONMENT, COMPLICATING READJUSTMENT AND CONTRIBUTING TO FURTHER TROUBLE ONCE THEY ARE RETURNED HOME. --IN FRENCH.