Deck 13: The Juvenile Justice System

Question 1

Which of the following is a difference between juvenile offenders and adult offenders?

A) Juveniles are generally less likely than adults to act impulsively.
B) Juveniles are generally more likely than adults to engage in risky behavior.
C) Juveniles are generally more likely than adults to display remorse immediately following a violent act.
D) Juveniles are generally less likely than adults to respond to peer pressure.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is a status offense that is commonly brought to the attention of authorities?

A) Arson
B) Statutory rape
C) Embezzlement
D) Truancy

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A _____ is a juvenile who has engaged in behavior deemed unacceptable for those under a certain legally determined age.

A) status offender
B) white-collar criminal
C) geriatric offender
D) public order criminal

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In McKeiver v. Pennsylvania (1971), the Supreme Court ruled that:

A) the U.S. Constitution did not give juveniles the right to a jury trial.
B) a juvenile could be tried in an adult court for a crime already adjudicated in juvenile court.
C) a juvenile has no right to counsel in instances in which a juvenile judge is considering sending a case to an adult court.
D) the government need not prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that a juvenile has committed an act of delinquency.

Question 5

The first decision to extend due process rights to children in juvenile courts was _____.

A) Breed v. Jones
B) Kent v. United States
C) In re Winship
D) In re Gault

Question 6

According to federal law and the laws of most states, a juvenile delinquent is someone who has:

A) failed to fulfil his or her duties of community service ordered by a court.
B) committed a criminal offense that is considered legal in other states.
C) faced three consecutive suspensions from an educational institution.
D) not yet reached his or her eighteenth birthday at the time of the offense in question.

Question 7

In general, the child savers favored the doctrine of _____, which holds that the state has not only a right but also a duty to care for children who are neglected, delinquent, or in some other way disadvantaged.

A) parens patriae
B) contra proferentem
C) quantum meruit
D) erga omnes

Question 8

Which of the following terminologies was used by the Illinois Juvenile Court instead of "defendants"?

A) Petitioners
B) Declarants
C) Respondents
D) Beneficiaries

Question 9

A(n) _____ is an act that, when committed by a juvenile, is considered illegal and grounds for possible state custody, but the same act, when committed by an adult, does not warrant law enforcement action.

A) felony
B) status offense
C) infraction
D) capital crime

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true of the practices of the Illinois Juvenile Court?

A) The primary focus of the parties involved was to determine if an offender was innocent or guilty.
B) Court hearings were presided over by judges who wore black robes and sat behind a bench.
C) An offender's court hearings and records were open to the public.
D) The parties involved worked together in the best interests of an offender.

Question 11

Identify a difference between juvenile offenders and adult offenders.

A) Juveniles are less likely than adults to engage in risky behavior.
B) Juveniles are less likely than adults to display remorse immediately following a violent act.
C) Juveniles are less likely than adults to respond to peer pressure.
D) Juveniles are less likely than adults to engage in impulsive behavior.

Question 12

In the context of the United States juvenile justice system, the lack of procedural protections in the juvenile courts led to:

A) the repealing of In re Winship and In re Gault .
B) children being arbitrarily punished for both crimes and status offenses.
C) status offenders and violent delinquents being incarcerated in different institutions.
D) the establishment of the House of Refuge in New York.

Question 13

In Breed v. Jones (1975), the Supreme Court held that the _____ prevented a juvenile from being tried in an adult court for a crime that had already been adjudicated in juvenile court.

A) Fifth Amendment's double jeopardy clause
B) Fifth Amendment's due process clause
C) Eighth Amendment's cruel and unusual punishment clause
D) Eighth Amendment's excessive bail clause

Question 14

Which of the following was a belief held by the child savers during the child-saving movement?

A) Society's role was to ascertain whether a child was "guilty" or "innocent."
B) The state had no right to care for children who are delinquent.
C) Juvenile offenders required treatment, not punishment.
D) Juvenile offenders required a formalized justice system.

Question 15

Which of the following Supreme Court decisions held that juveniles facing a loss of liberty were entitled to many of the same basic procedural safeguards granted to adult offenders in the United States?

A) Breed v. Jones
B) Kent v. United States
C) In re Winship
D) In re Gault

Question 16

In Roper v. Simmons , the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court:

A) permitted the trial of juveniles in adult courts for crimes already adjudicated in juvenile courts.
B) forbade the execution of offenders who were under the age of eighteen when they committed their crimes.
C) held that juveniles facing a loss of liberty were not entitled to the same basic procedural safeguards granted to adult offenders.
D) held that the government need not prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that a juvenile had committed an act of delinquency.

Question 17

Unlike adult courts, the Illinois Juvenile Court:

A) emphasized punishment.
B) kept court proceedings open to the public.
C) issued warrants instead of petitions.
D) kept court hearings and records sealed.

Question 18

Vincent, a twelve-year-old boy, purchases two bottles of beer from a liquor shop in Moorville, a state in the United States. Even though Moorville has not banned the sale or purchase of alcohol, Vincent is arrested by the local cops. In this scenario, Vincent is a(n) _____.

A) white-collar criminal
B) inchoate offender
C) geriatric offender
D) status offender

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true of the first juvenile court created by the Illinois legislature?

A) It was based on the belief that children are fully responsible for criminal conduct.
B) It was based on the belief that children are incapable of being rehabilitated.
C) It was guided by the principles of parens patriae .
D) It was guided by the doctrine of erga omnes .

Question 20

Which of the following was a reason given by the United States Supreme Court in its landmark decision in Roper v. Simmons (2005)?

A) The diminished culpability of juveniles
B) The defense of mental disorder
C) The violation of the Eighth Amendment
D) The defense of double jeopardy

Question 21

In the Miller v. Alabama case of 2012, the United States Supreme Court:

A) banned laws that mandated life-without-parole sentences for juveniles convicted of murder.
B) mandated life-without-parole sentences for juveniles convicted of murder.
C) held that youths cannot be detained if they are deemed a "risk" to their own welfare.
D) moved the juvenile court further toward the adult model.

Question 22

Which of the following best represents family-based delinquency?

A) Girls are more apt to fight with parents or siblings than boys.
B) Boys represent the majority of juveniles arrested for commercialized vice.
C) A large percentage of male juvenile arrests for assault arise out of family disputes.
D) Girls are more likely than boys to engage in violent encounters with strangers.

Question 23

Which of the following is true of child neglect?

A) It is a condition in which the parents of a child fail to identify the child's delinquent behavior.
B) It is a condition in which the parents of a female child disown her immediately after her birth.
C) It involves depriving a child of necessities such as love, shelter, food, and proper care.
D) It involves a teacher intimidating, harassing, or humiliating a student.

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of bullying?

A) Name calling
B) Drug abuse
C) Internet fraud
D) Drunk driving

Question 25

Which of the following is a reason why juveniles join gangs?

A) Older gang members provide for the education of young members from lower-class communities.
B) The gang provides companionship that juveniles may lack at home.
C) The gang guarantees high levels of crime and violence.
D) Gang members are able to gain legal employment as a result of the gang's enterprises.

Question 26

Which of the following was a ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court in Graham v. Florida (2010)?

A) Retribution and deterrence can be applied to juvenile wrongdoers because they can fully comprehend the consequences of their actions.
B) A juvenile can be tried in an adult court for a crime that had already been adjudicated in juvenile court.
C) The basic procedural safeguards granted to adult offenders cannot be granted to juveniles facing a loss of liberty.
D) Juveniles who commit crimes that do not involve murder may not be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Question 27

According to researchers Janet Currie of Columbia University and Erdal Tekin of Georgia State University, child maltreatment:

A) reduces the rate of recidivism.
B) is unlikely to be associated with antisocial and illegal behaviors by juveniles.
C) roughly doubles the probability that an individual engages in many types of crime.
D) is unlikely to be associated with delinquency.

Question 28

Hamid, a fourteen-year-old boy, is arrested by a police officer for possession of beer. The officer holds Hamid in custody for a day and releases him with a warning. In this scenario, the officer is acting _____.

A) in loco parentis
B) in flagrante delicto
C) in forma pauperis d. in pari materia

Question 29

In the context of the zero-tolerance policies of schools in the United States, which of the following is true?

A) A majority of the incidents that lead to expulsion of students involve less-serious crimes.
B) More than 50 percent of serious school disciplinary actions involve possession of a weapon.
C) Schools lack the authority to ascertain whether a child is "guilty" or "innocent."
D) Disciplinary actions taken by schools reduce the risk of students' future involvement in the juvenile justice system.

Question 30

According to a recent survey, which of the following ethnic groups forms the majority of all gang members in the United States?

A) Asian American
B) Latino
C) African American
D) White

Question 31

Which of the following is a family-associated risk factor for juvenile delinquency?

A) Academic frustration
B) Learning disability
C) Lack of social and economic opportunities
D) Extreme economic deprivation

Question 32

To help gang members leave their gang, _____ often focus on counteracting the same pressures that initially led to gang membership.

A) foot soldiers
B) desistance experts
C) bilingual detention specialists
D) yard officers

Question 33

Thirteen-year-old Jacob is found guilty of robbing six houses. He admits that he began stealing at the age of ten. In this scenario, ten represents Jacob's _____.

A) age of accountability
B) age of consent
C) age of majority
D) age of onset

Question 34

Which of the following terms is used to describe the discretionary power police have in determining what to do with misbehaving juveniles?

A) Low-visibility decision making
B) High-visibility decision making
C) Zero-tolerance decision making
D) High-tolerance decision making

Question 35

Which of the following is true of substance abuse among juvenile offenders?

A) Nearly all young offenders entering juvenile detention self-report drug use at some point in their lives.
B) Very few juvenile detainees test positive for drug use at the time of their offense.
C) Less than 20 percent of young offenders entering juvenile detention have used drugs in the previous six months.
D) Substance abuse is a cause of delinquent behavior among juvenile offenders rather than one of its forms.

Question 36

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates child neglect?

A) Marie, a fourteen-year-old girl, is told by her parents to work as a waitress in a restaurant to pay for her college tuition.
B) Lucas, a twelve-year-old boy, is left alone at home for long periods of time without any provision for food or security.
C) Claire, a thirteen-year-old girl, is allowed by her parents to consume marijuana for medical purposes.
D) Jalal, an eleven-year-old boy, is sent to his grandmother's house while his parents are on a vacation.

Question 37

The age at which a juvenile first exhibits delinquent behavior is called the _____.

A) age of accountability
B) age of consent
C) age of majority
D) age of onset

Question 38

Richard is a five-year-old boy whose alcoholic father often hits him with a cane. This scenario best illustrates _____.

A) homicide
B) larceny
C) child abuse
D) juvenile recidivism

Question 39

_____ can be broadly defined as repeated, aggressive behavior that contains at least one of the following elements: physical abuse, verbal abuse, social and emotional abuse, and cyber abuse.

A) Larceny
B) Extortion
C) Bullying
D) Detention

Question 40

According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the earlier a youth enters the juvenile justice system, _____.

A) the more likely he or she will become a violent offender
B) the more likely he or she will display remorse
C) the lower the risk of recidivism
D) the lower the risk of physical, emotional, and mental health problems

Question 41

A(n) _____ is a variation on traditional shock incarceration in which juveniles (and some adults) are sent to secure confinement facilities modeled on military basic training sites.

A) boot camp
B) aftercare program
C) detention center
D) training school

Question 42

With regard to status offenses, _____ have sole discretion to decide whether to process the case or divert the youth to another juvenile service agency.

A) judges
B) case managers
C) juries
D) probation officers

Question 43

A police officer in Goldport, a state in the United States, refers twelve-year-old Mark to a juvenile court and files a complaint. Robinson, an official of the court, reads the complaint and decides to release Mark. In this scenario, Robinson is in the _____ stage of a pretrial juvenile justice procedure.

A) incarceration
B) detention
C) intake
D) diversion

Question 44

Matthew, a fourteen-year-old, is arrested for sexually assaulting one of his classmates. The presiding judge in the juvenile court considers Matthew's age and the severity of his crime and decides to transfer him to an adult court. The judge's decision in this scenario best exemplifies _____.

A) automatic transfer
B) judicial waiver
C) prosecutorial waiver
D) postpetition transfer

Question 45

Many researchers believe that by the age of fourteen, an adolescent has the same ability as an adult to make a competent decision.

Question 46

The Supreme Court's ruling in Miller v. Alabama (2012) forbade the execution of offenders who were under the age of eighteen when they committed their crimes.

Question 47

In which of the following diversion programs does an offender repay his or her victim, either directly or symbolically through community service?

A) Probation
B) Treatment and aid
C) Judicial waiver
D) Restitution

Question 48

In the context of the American juvenile justice system, which of the following is true of a predisposition report?

A) It usually contains information concerning a respondent's family background.
B) It outlines the charges brought against a juvenile offender.
C) It includes a list of similar cases on which the judge can base his or her decision.
D) It usually includes a list of detention centers to which a juvenile offender can be transferred.

Question 49

Juveniles are generally more likely than adults to calculate the long-term consequences of any particular action.

Question 50

Thirteen-year-old Susan is arrested by a police officer for possession of cocaine and is referred to a juvenile court. Julia, an intake officer, files a document that outlines the charges against Susan. In addition, she requests that the court either hear Susan's case or transfer it to an adult court. In this scenario, Julia has filed a(n) _____.

A) indenture
B) petition
C) charter
D) subpoena

Question 51

The legal status of children in the United States is independent of where they live.

Question 52

The concept of graduated sanctions holds that:

A) juvenile offenders cannot be incarcerated until they reach the age of eighteen.
B) the severity of the punishment imposed on a juvenile offender should fit the crime committed.
C) the severity of the punishment imposed on a juvenile offender is at the discretion of the presiding judge.
D) a juvenile offender is prohibited from confronting and cross-examining witnesses.

Question 53

New York's House of Refuge was created to separate children with criminal tendencies from the environment in which they were raised.

Question 54

The "diminished culpability" of juveniles was one of the reasons given by the United States Supreme Court in its landmark decision in Graham v. Florida (2010).

Question 55

A(n) _____ includes a variety of therapeutic, educational, and counseling plans made available to juvenile delinquents after they have been released from a correctional facility.

A) aftercare program
B) control unit
C) boot camp
D) detention center

Question 56

Kathy is a sixteen-year-old resident of Baskville, a state in the United States. She is accused of murdering her sister. Baskville has recently implemented legislative waiver for serious crimes such as murder and rape. Which of the following is most likely to be an outcome of Kathy's case?

A) Kathy's case will be halted until she turns eighteen.
B) Kathy will be enrolled in an anger-management program.
C) Kathy's case will automatically be transferred to an adult court.
D) Kathy will be incarcerated without trial for a predetermined amount of time.

Question 57

Thirteen-year-old Carl is arrested for raping a five-year-old girl. He appears for an adjudicatory hearing, in which the presiding judge analyzes the evidence presented against Carl. Which of the following is to be determined by the judge in this hearing?

A) Whether Carl has already been adjudicated in another juvenile court
B) Whether Carl is delinquent or in need of court supervision
C) Whether Carl is psychologically sound
D) Whether Carl has a prior criminal record

Question 58

Which of the following residential treatment programs involves providing treatment, counseling, and education services to young offenders?

A) Group homes
B) Foster care programs
C) Boot camps
D) Training schools

Question 59

Which of the following is true of a detention hearing for a juvenile offender?

A) During the hearing, the offender does not have the right to counsel.
B) During the hearing, the offender has the right against self-incrimination.
C) The hearing is held a week after the offender has been detained.
D) The offender cannot confront witnesses while the hearing is in progress.

Question 60

The child savers laid emphasis on punishment rather than treatment.

Question 61

Referral is one of the four primary components of a pretrial juvenile justice procedure.

Question 62

In the context of the juvenile justice system, the primary goal of an adjudicatory hearing is to decide what steps will be taken toward the punishment of the offender.

Question 63

In the context of juvenile trials, the presiding judge in a juvenile court is responsible for preparing a predisposition report.

Question 64

In the context of the American juvenile justice system, explain the difference between a judicial waiver and a prosecutorial waiver.

Question 65

Automatic transfer is also known as judicial waiver.

Question 66

Spreading false rumors is an example of bullying.

Question 67

In the context of the American juvenile justice system, explain the difference between an adjudicatory hearing and a disposition hearing.

Question 68

Describe the elements of bullying.

Question 69

Boys are four times more apt to fight with parents or siblings than are girls.

Question 70

Students who have been expelled for any amount of time are at a much greater risk for future involvement in the juvenile justice system than those who have not faced such disciplinary measures.

Question 71

If a youth breaks the conditions of probation, he or she can be returned to the formal juvenile system.

Question 72

Describe residential treatment programs for juvenile offenders.

Question 73

In the context of the American juvenile justice system, explain the factors that are considered by police in low-visibility decision making.

Question 74

One of the reasons for gang membership is protection from attacks.

Question 75

According to many criminologists, any group of at-risk persons-regardless of gender, race, intelligence, or class-will commit more crimes as they grow older.

Question 76

Self-reported studies show that there has been a drastic change in girls' violent behavior over the past few decades.

Question 77

A youth gang usually consists of two persons who engage in criminal activity.

Question 78

An involuntary admission of guilt by a juvenile offender is sufficient to prove the offender delinquent.

Question 79

In most cases, the educational qualification of a juvenile offender is the primary factor used in determining whether to incarcerate him or her.

Question 80

Although overall rates of juvenile offending have been dropping, arrest rates for boys are declining more slowly than those for girls.