Children and the Law Posts
History of Children and the Law
A brief historical account may be helpful in understanding the uncertainty and the reasons why a Restatement of Children and the Law would be particularly useful in clarifying legal doctrine and in supporting emerging reform trends.
My Life in Crime: An Intellectual History of the Juvenile Court
Part I examines changes associated with the Supreme Court’s requirement that juvenile courts provide delinquents some procedural safeguards. Part II examines the Get Tough Era and states’ emphases on youths’ adult-like culpability and adoption of punitive policies. Part III reviews the Supreme Court’s recent jurisprudence of youth, reaffirmation that children are different, and limits on harsh punishment for youths. It concludes with a reflection on the limits of juvenile justice reform to improve the life chances of young people.
Bad Medicine: Parents, the State, and the Charge of ‘Medical Child Abuse’
Doctors and hospitals have begun to level a new charge — “medical child abuse” (MCA) — against parents who, they say, get unnecessary medical treatment for their kids. The fact that this treatment has been ordered by other doctors does not protect parents from these accusations.