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It takes courage to do research on crime and delinquency. Such
research is typically conducted in an atmosphere of concern about
the problem it addresses and is typically justified as an attempt
to discover new facts or to evaluate innovative programs or
policies. When, as must often be the case, no new facts are
forthcoming or innovative programs turn out not to work, hopes are
dashed and time and money are felt to have been wasted. Because
they take more time, longitudinal studies require even greater
amounts of courage. If the potential for discovery is enhanced, so
is the risk of wasted effort. Long-term longitudinal studies are
thought to be especially risky for other reasons as well. Theories,
issues, and sta tistical methods in vogue at the time they were
planned may not be in vogue when they are finally executed. Perhaps
worse, according to some perspectives, the structure of causal
factors may shift during the execu tion of a longitudinal project
such that in the end its findings apply to a reality that no longer
exists. These fears and expectations assume an ever-changing world
and a corresponding conception of research as a more or less
disciplined search for news. Such ideas belittle the contributions
of past research and leave us vulnerable to theories, programs,
policies, and research agendas that may have only tenuous
connections to research of any kind.
It takes courage to do research on crime and delinquency. Such
research is typically conducted in an atmosphere of concern about
the problem it addresses and is typically justified as an attempt
to discover new facts or to evaluate innovative programs or
policies. When, as must often be the case, no new facts are
forthcoming or innovative programs turn out not to work, hopes are
dashed and time and money are felt to have been wasted. Because
they take more time, longitudinal studies require even greater
amounts of courage. If the potential for discovery is enhanced, so
is the risk of wasted effort. Long-term longitudinal studies are
thought to be especially risky for other reasons as well. Theories,
issues, and sta tistical methods in vogue at the time they were
planned may not be in vogue when they are finally executed. Perhaps
worse, according to some perspectives, the structure of causal
factors may shift during the execu tion of a longitudinal project
such that in the end its findings apply to a reality that no longer
exists. These fears and expectations assume an ever-changing world
and a corresponding conception of research as a more or less
disciplined search for news. Such ideas belittle the contributions
of past research and leave us vulnerable to theories, programs,
policies, and research agendas that may have only tenuous
connections to research of any kind."
In "Our Children, Their Children, "a prominent team of researchers
argues that a second-rate and increasingly punitive juvenile
justice system is allowed to persist because most people believe it
is designed for children in other ethnic and socioeconomic groups.
While public opinion, laws, and social policies that convey
distinctions between "our children" and "their children" may seem
to conflict with the American ideal of blind justice, they are
hardly at odds with patterns of group differentiation and
inequality that have characterized much of American history.
"Our Children, Their Children" provides a state-of-the-science
examination of racial and ethnic disparities in the offending and
processing of youths within the American juvenile justice system.
Here, contributors document the precise magnitude of these
disparities, seek to determine their causes, and propose potential
solutions. This collection assesses the implications of these
differences for evaluating the impact of public policy initiatives
and legal reforms that have been implemented or proposed over the
last several decades. In addition to race and ethnicity,
contributors also look at the effects on juvenile justice of
suburban sprawl, the impact of family and neighborhood, bias in
postarrest decisions, and mental health issues. Offering the first
critical summary of what is known and unknown in this important
area of social research, "Our Children, Their Children" will prove
an invaluable resource for any policy maker, social worker,
educator, attorney, counselor, or other type of worker affiliated
with the juvenile justice system.
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