Homework Clinic
Social Science Clinic => Law and Politics => Topic started by: jake on Aug 17, 2018
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Discuss the concept of Parens Patriae.
What will be an ideal response?
Question 2
Explain the history of the juvenile justice system.
What will be an ideal response?
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Answer to Question 1
The term parens patriae is a Latin term used to signify the role of the king as the father of his country. The term was originally used by kings to establish their right to intervene in the lives of the children of their vassals. As time went on, the American courts caught onto the term and used it as a legal basis for intervening in the lives of children. The child savers used this term to help the lives of poor and immigrant children. The child-saving movement of the late 1800s brought about the first independent juvenile court.
Answer to Question 2
In the colonial period, the source and primary means of social control of children was left up to the family. The only enforcement officials were the town fathers, magistrates, sheriffs, and watchmen. Jails were only used for prisoners awaiting trial or punishment. The families dealt with the punishment of juveniles who were not law-abiding. It was not until the 1800s that reformers searched for ways to teach troubled youths traditional values by sending them to asylums and training schools.