Includes bibliographical references and index.

The context of juvenile justice : defining basic concepts and examining public perceptions of juvenile crime -- Measuring the extent of juvenile delinquency -- Theory and research : the social context of juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice -- Early juvenile justice : before the juvenile court -- The development of the juvenile court -- Public and police responses to juvenile offenders -- Juvenile diversion -- Preadjudication processes in juvenile justice -- The transfer of juveniles to criminal court -- The contemporary juvenile court -- Community-based corrections programs for juvenile offenders -- Institutional corrections programs for juvenile offenders -- The status offender in juvenile justice -- Juvenile justice and the serious, chronic, or violent juvenile offender -- Present conditions and future directions in juvenile justice -- Working in juvenile justice.