Juvenile Justice, International

Juvenile justice has emerged as a fundamental children’s rights issue at the global level. The concept of juvenile justice began to develop in the 19th century in North America and Europe, where children in conflict with the law were separated from adults and received special treatment, which focused on their education and welfare. In its core, juvenile justice is founded upon the notion that children (i.e., every person under the age of 18 years when committing an offense), due to their age, level of maturity, and evolving capacities, are less culpable than adults and more likely to reform and change their behavior. Thus, juvenile justice provides an education-oriented approach toward a child (allegedly) in conflict with the law, which focuses on the child’s rights and ...