Juvenile Justice: An Introduction, Ninth Edition, presents a comprehensive picture of juvenile offending, delinquency theories, and the ways juvenile justice actors and agencies react to delinquency. Whitehead and Lab offer evidence-based suggestions for successful interventions and treatment and examine the prospects for rebalancing the model of juvenile court.

This new edition includes insightful analysis and the latest available statistics on juvenile crime and victimization, drug use, court processing, and corrections. Recent developments include the possible influence of biosocial factors on delinquency; use of social media both for recruiting gang members and for combatting gangs; new probation models; responses to cyberbullying; the renewed emphasis on status offenses; the implications of drug legalization; police shootings; and specialty courts for teens and those with mental illness. Chapter 12 has been recast to cover specific information on prevention programs in addition to restorative justice approaches.

Each chapter enhances student understanding with Key Terms, a "What You Need to Know" section, and Discussion Questions. Links at key points in the text show students where to get the latest information.