Juvenile Justice in Austria and the United States: Similarities and Differences

Abstract

This article compares juvenile justice practices in Austria and the United States. The sources of information include statistics provided by public agencies, interviews, analyses of legislation and data from juvenile court reports. The legal structures of the juvenile justice systems of the two countries are compared and the effects of the adoption of community policing on the manner in which the police respond to youth deviance are considered, particularly in regard to the diversion of youths from official processing through the juvenile justice system by the police or the courts. The article describes the evolution of the juvenile justice systems in Austria and the United States, the changes in the forms of juvenile justice procedures in recent years mandated by legislation, and the expected consequences of these changes for both countries.