Kids in the Courtroom: How Young Is Too Young? Perspectives on the Minimum Age for Juvenile Court Jurisdiction in the United States

Many states have passed “Raise the Age” laws, allowing teens previously processed as adults to be diverted to juvenile and family court. On the other end of the spectrum, recent cases involving children as young as 6 years old being arrested, raise concern for the negative impacts that their involvement in juvenile cou rt may have. Twenty-four states lack minimum age legislation for prosecuting a child. This presentation aims to educate child and adolescent psychiatrists on the state of minimum age laws in the United States through a neurodevelopmental and antiracist, equity-informed lens, highlighting the role of child and adolescent psychiatrists in advocating for this structurally vulnerable population of children and their families.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Clinical Perspectives 19 Source Type: research