COURSE SYLLABUS
ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC STATE UNIVERSITY
CRIMINAL JUSTICE 5300U/5300G: Juvenile Delinquency
Spring, 2004
Section: L01: (TTH 4:00 - 6:35 p.m.)
Session: X (January 6 – February 25)
INSTRUCTOR: BECKY KOHLER da CRUZ, J.D.
Instructor of Criminal Justice & Law
OFFICE: UC 219
OFFICE HOURS:
PHONE: 921-7407 E-MAIL: dacruzbe@mail.armstrong.edu
T-TH 10:00-11:00 & 1:30-2:30 pm, F 1-2 p.m. or by Appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is a combination advanced undergraduate core requirement/graduate elective.
Students are advised to have taken introduction to criminal justice and criminology. The
objectives of the course are to explore the relationships between juvenile behavior and crime,
together with a reasonable understanding of the juvenile justice system as it currently exists and
operates within the United States. In addition, there will be some concern with the reasons for, or
“causes of” juvenile delinquency, since this concern is reflected in the methods used to deal with
delinquency within the juvenile justice system. The course will be a combination of lecture,
discussion and media presentation.
COURSE RATIONALE:
This course provides the student with an orientation to the juvenile justice system. This course
will examine the relationships between the administration of the justice system, the community,
and the special juvenile venue. It orientates the student to potential career opportunities as
related to juvenile courts, juvenile corrections and enforcing juvenile laws.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:
Bartollas, C. (2003). Juvenile Delinquency (6th ed). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon Publishers.
CLASS FORMAT:
It is essential that the readings for each lecture be completed in advance since the lectures will
utilize the readings as “take-off” points for further discussion and analysis. Your participation in
this course will be drawn out in the form of question and answer dialogs between the instructor
and the students.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Students are expected to be present for all scheduled classes – in both body and mind – as you
are responsible for all information not only in the textbook but also what is presented in class.
Notify the instructor of your absence only on exam days. Absences will be considered justified
and excusable only in cases of emergencies, serious illness or death in the immediate family in
which case the exam may be made up (see below). If you miss a class, get the lecture notes
from a classmate.
CLASS CONDUCT:
Students are expected to treat others with respect and dignity at all times. Any behavior, which
is disruptive to the learning environment, is strictly prohibited. Beepers and cell phones disrupt
the class, they need to be operated in silent mode or turned off. If you are disrupting the
lecture, you will be removed from the classroom.
LECTURE TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS:
PART I: THE NATURE, EXTENT AND CAUSES OF DELINQUENCY
Weeks #1 & 2
Jan. 6th & 8th
Jan. 13th & 15th
Introduction to the Course; Overview: Adolescence and Delinquency,
The Juvenile Justice Process; Due Process Issues
Bartollas Chapters 1 and 13 + Lecture Material
The Measurement and Nature of Delinquency
Bartollas: Chapter 2 + Lecture Material
Weeks #3 & 4
Individual Causes of Delinquency: Classical/Positive Schools
Jan. 20th & 22nd of Criminality; Contemporary Approaches to Juvenile Delinquency
Jan. 27th & 29th
Bartollas: Chapter 3 + Lecture Material
Social Structure Theories: Social Disorganization; Strain; Cultural
Deviance; and, Social Stratification and Delinquency.
Bartollas: Chapter 4 + Lecture Material
Social Process Theories: Differential Association; Delinquency
and Drift; and, Control Theories of Reckless and Hirschi
Bartollas: Chapter 5 + Lecture Material
Social Reaction Theories of Delinquency
Bartollas: Chapter 6 + Lecture Material
January 29th
Exam #1
PART II: Environmental Influence; Prevention, Diversion & Treatment; Social Control
Week #5:
Feb. 3rd & 5th
The Family/School and Delinquency
Bartollas: Chapters 8 and 9 + Lecture Material
Gang Delinquency and Drug Issues
Bartollas: Chapters 10 and 11 + Lecture Material
The Police and Juveniles
Bartollas: Chapter 14 + Lecture Material
Weeks #6 & 7
Delinquency Prevention, Diversion and Treatment
Feb. 10th & 12th
Bartollas: Chapter 12 + Lecture Material
Feb. 17th & 19th The Juvenile Court/Court Process
Bartollas: Chapter 15 + Lecture Material
Community Based Corrections for Juvenile Offenders
Bartollas: Chapter 16 + Lecture Material
Institutions for Juvenile Offenders
Bartollas: Chapter 17 + Lecture Material
*NOTE: Papers Due Thursday, February 19th!
Week #8
Clean-up and Review
Feb. 24th
Exam #2
NOTE: This calendar is for guideline purposes only. It is subject to change.
EVALUATION METHODS:
For Undergraduates:
1. A midterm and a final exam.
2. One (1) paper.
FINAL GRADE STANDARDS:
For Undergraduates:
Exam #1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 points
Final Exam. . . . . . . . . . . . 100 points
1 Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 points
250 points
For Graduates:
1. A midterm and a final exam.
2. One (1) paper.
3. Book review.
For Graduates:
Exam #1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 points
Final Exam. . . . . . . . . . . . 100 points
1 Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 points
Book Review . . . . . . . . . . 100 points
350 points
You can earn a maximum of two hundred fifty (250) points for undergraduates and three hundred
fifty (350) points for graduates in this course. The approximate letter and numerical equivalents
are as follows:
Undergraduate
Graduate
Grade
Points
Points
Percent
A
250-225
350-315
90-100%
B
225-200
315-280
80-90%
C
200-175
280-245
70-80%
D
175-150
245-210
60-70%
F
150-0
210-0
below 60%
EXAMS:
There will be two examinations during the session. Each exam will be non-cumulative; that is, it
will only cover class materials and the reading assignments from the date of the last exam. The
exams will consist of multiple choice, true/false or short answer, and an essay question.
PAPER (Undergraduate & Graduate):
An (8 page minimum) double-spaced, TYPED original review paper will be required. Each
student will select a recent article from an acceptable criminal or juvenile justice journal and
provide a written critique of the article. Grading will include an assessment of the student’s
understanding of the materials, the adequacy of the critique, and the logical quality of the written
argument.
Popular magazines or non-academic materials are not acceptable sources: IF IN DOUBT ABOUT
THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOUR SOURCE, SEE THE INSTRUCTOR.
A copy of the journal article must accompany the final paper.
BOOK REVIEW (Graduate Students Only):
Graduate students will also review a book of their choice (in consultation with the instructor) on an
issue(s) relating to class material. Reviews should be in-depth, thoughtful papers, approximately 10
pages in length, typed, and double-spaced. Writing style and referencing should adhere to scholarly
guidelines. Book reviews should consist of an introduction, summary of the book, critique of the
book, and should answer two questions: “How does this book ‘fit’ with other readings on the same
topic?” and “How does this book contribute to the issue of juvenile delinquency?” Application of
the writings in the Bartollas text are expected. This project is due on Thursday, Feb. 19th.
STANDARDS OF HONESTY:
The college experience is founded on the concepts of honesty and integrity. Dishonesty,
cheating, and plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course. Plagiarism is representing
someone else’s work as your own. It includes quoting or paraphrasing a secondary source
without citing that source, or copying, buying, or stealing written work from another person or
another source. All class writings must be a student’s own original work, created this semester
for this particular course. Remember, plagiarism is not only immoral- it is illegal. Students who
commit plagiarism or who cheat on an examination will receive a zero (0) for that work. If
cheating and plagiarism continue, the student will receive a failing grade in the course. Such an
offense will also become a matter of your academic record.
MAKE-UP POLICY:
Students are expected to take exams and turn in their assignments on their assigned dates. A
Late paper WILL NOT be accepted for any reason. If you fail to take an exam on the
designated date, your grade on the make-up exam will be reduced by 10 percent (1 letter grade).
A make-up exam will ONLY be given when advance notice is provided to the instructor by the
student who has good reason for not taking the exam on the dedicated date or if the student has
an extreme emergency. In no event will a make-up exam be given 1 week after the date in which
it was given or upon the student’s return from the emergency.
EXTRA CREDIT POLICY:
Do not count on any extra credit in this course. You are expected to learn the core material as
assigned. IF any extra credit is offered during the semester, it must be completed on or before
the last day of class - it will not be accepted during exam week.
CRJU 5300U/5300G: JUVENILE DELINIQUENCY
Spring Semester, 2004: Liberty Center, Session X
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE REVIEW PAPER
I. Content of the Paper
A.
As stated in the syllabus, the paper must discuss and summarize a research article (within
the purview of juvenile delinquency and/or the juvenile justice system) from a criminal justice
journal. It must:
(1) Analyze and Discuss the program/service, etc. under scrutiny;
(2) Summarize the research/content of the article. Indicate what the research
determined about the program/service being evaluated, and, where possible,
relate the findings to the text.
(3) Provide your analysis and/or evaluation of the research. State what
the conclusions might mean to or for the juvenile justice system.
The instructor is looking for what you have learned about a juvenile justice system
agency or service. The most common mistakes are (a) selecting a poor article, (b) just
summarizing the article and not analyzing it or discussing your views, (c) failing to relate the
article to larger (broader) juvenile justice issues as found in the text. Broader issues are how the
research might yield a different approach to managing offenders, usefulness of various
alternatives (example—community corrections), different approaches to agency management,
etc.
B.
II. Format and Submission of the Paper
A.
You should use a cover page, which does not count as part of the 8 page minimum for
the paper. Your name, title of the article, course name and date should appear on the cover page.
The paper should be stapled together, please do not use a folder, cover, binder, etc.
B.
Journal articles selected will be a minimum of 10 pages in length, inclusive of pictures,
graphs, tables, etc. You may reference other sources in your paper. With rare exception, articles
prior to 2002 will not be accepted.
C.
References to the journal article reviewed are not necessary throughout the paper,
although you must use cites when you quote exactly from the paper (e.g., Williams, p 4) although
no more than three direct quotes will be allowed in your paper. Page references to other sources
must be in an approved style, (I don’t care which one, as long as it is consistent throughout the
paper). Full references should be included on the last page of your paper, which does not count
as part of the 8 page minimum.
D.
A COPY OF THE ARTICLE MUST ACCOMPANY THE PAPER WHEN
SUBMITTED. Papers submitted without a copy of the journal article will be penalized up to 20
points.