Source: (2008) Journal of Experimental Criminology. 4:137-163.
Teen Court (TC) is a juvenile diversion program designed to prevent the
formal processing of first-time juvenile offenders within the juvenile justice system.
TC instead utilizes informal processing and sanctions in order to prevent future
offending. Despite its widespread popularity throughout the United States of
America, little rigorous research has been conducted on the effectiveness of the
TC model for reducing recidivism. Using an experimental design, this study
examined the effectiveness of TC in reducing recidivism and improving the attitudes
and opinions of juvenile offenders in comparison with a control group of youth who
were formally processed. Self-reported delinquency was higher for those youth who
participated in TC. TC youth were also found to have significantly lower scores on a
scale of belief in conventional rules than had youth who were processed in the
Department of Juveniles Services. Implications of these findings are discussed. (author’s abstract)
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