Massachusetts and Scotland: From Juvenile Justice to Child Welfare?

Comparative data from two systems of dual jurisdiction, the Massachusetts juvenile court and the Scottish children’s hearings, is examined to explore the relative use of child welfare and juvenile justice referrals in the lives of children. In Scotland, a radical shift away from juvenile delinquency toward child welfare cases has altered the system’s capacity to fulfill a welfare-oriented approach to older adolescents. In Massachusetts, the juvenile court is becoming more welfare-oriented as older adolescents are claimed.