NCJ Number
99788
Date Published
1983
Length
49 pages
Annotation
This guide discusses what happens when teenagers or children under 12 are arrested, rights of both minors and their parents, and fingerprinting laws regarding children.
Abstract
After reviewing problems involving courts' definitions of delinquency and the Gault case which gave arrested juveniles some basic rights, the booklet focuses on arrests of girls. Offense, family, and psychological characteristics of teenage female offenders are described. Also discussed is whether premenstrual syndrome can be used to defend teenagers when they commit irrational or violent acts. The guide treats rights of parents in several areas, including school expulsions, strip searches in school, labeling a child a status offender, and committing a child to an institution. The guide examines the rights of a younger child when arrested, whether a parent can waive a child's constitutional rights, a child's confession as evidence acceptable in court, juveniles' right to bail, and detention. Obligations of the police to parents in juvenile cases are outlined, as are fingerprint laws. Other topics covered include drug use, detention criteria, and children who have committed murder. The guide provides 11 references.