| A | B |
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| Parens Patriae | Latin for “parent of the country”; the doctrine that allows the government to take care of minors and others who cannot legally take care of themselves. |
| Delinquent Offenders | A minor who has committed an act that, if committed by an adult, would be a crime under federal, state, or local law. Such offenders are usually processed through the juvenile justice system. |
| Status Offenders | A minor who has committed an act that would not be a crime if committed by an adult, such as truancy from school, running away from home, or being habitually disobedient. They are considered beyond the control of their legal guardians. |
| Neglected | The failure of a parent or guardian to properly feed, clothe, shelter, educate. Or tend to the medical needs of a child. |
| Abused Children | An abuse case occurs when a child has been sexually, physically, or emotionally abused. |
| Parental Responsibility Laws | Statutes in which parents are held responsible and may be prosecuted for crimes committed by their children. |
| Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor | The act, by an adult, of aiding or encouraging illegal or improper conduct by a minor. |
| Transfer Hearing {waiver hearing} | To move a juvenile felony case to adult criminal court. Also called waiver hearing. |
| Age of Majority | The age {usually 18 or 21} at which a person becomes an adult, as specified by state law, and acquires both the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. |
| Intake | The informal process in which court officials or social workers decide if a complaint against a juvenile should be referred to juvenile court. |
| Youth Court | an alternative program that focuses on preventive treatment, rather than punishment. In this treatment young people sentence their peers. A young person must admit to the crime before entering the court. |
| Restorative Justice | the philosophy youth courts are based on where problem behavior harm victims and communities and that steps should be taken to involve offenders in repairing harm and restoring broken relationships . |
| Initial Hearing | a preliminary examination of the validity of a youth's arrest during which the state must prove that an offense was committed and that there is reasonable cause to believe the accused youth committed it. |
| Preventive Detention | holding a person against his or her will without bail until trial because of the likelihood that the individual will ccommit another crime. |
| Adjudicatory Hearing | the procedure used to detemine the facts in a juvenile case; similiar to an adult trial, but generally closed to the public. |
| Disposition | the final sentence or result of a case. |
| Aftercare | the equivalent of parole in the juvenile justice system. A juvenile is suprivised and assisted by a parole officer or social worker. |
