Thesis (D. Min.)--Ashland Theological Seminary, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 193-200).

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In late 19th century America, new schools of criminological thinking asserted that crime had its origins in a complex blend of environmental and social factors rather than in the moral deficiencies of the offender. Partly as a result of this new attitude the handling of offenses by juveniles became differentiated from adult cases, first through the construction of separate penal institutions and, beginning in 1899, through the establishment of courts specializing in juvenile cases. This study was undertaken to examine the attitudes of juvenile probation officers toward the Supreme Court’s Kent, Gault and Winship decisions which made a number of due process procedures mandatory in juvenile cases. Hypotheses were examined which asserted that (1) juvenile probation officers have a generally negative attitude toward due process, (2) probation officers with backgrounds in social work have more negative attitudes toward due process than do their colleagues with other types of backgrounds, and (3) within juvenile probation departments supervisors have more positive attitudes toward due process than do their subordinates.

The problem of juvenile delinquency is one that has received increasing emphasis during the past ten years. The rise and spread of the Coordinating Council Movement, the number of surveys made by public and private agencies on the subject, the increasing number of books published that deal with the problem and the new knowledge that has come from the Child Welfare Centers, the psychiatrists, and the psychologiste have all been noted and used by the various groups of interested citizens. Not only have we seen the rise of leisure time activities that are designed to meet the needs of the individual as well on the exceptional child, but we cannot forget the philosophy behind the present day educational theory that is re- calving more and more emphasis. The development of the guidance program, the new and broader concept of education as "all and any experience that widens the horizons of the ch114", and the on the one work program in Child Welfare Centers have all helped to bring the problem of how to lower the juvenile delinquency rate to the fore.

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Thesis (D. Min.)--Ashland Theological Seminary, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 193-200).

M.A. / The Global Social Work Standards as outlined by Sewpaul & Jones (2004) aspire for social work education and training to equip social workers with relevant knowledge and skills. This would enable them to practice in a range of contexts applying different social work methods and techniques, while recognising the interconnectedness that exists within and across all systems at micro, mezzo and macro levels. Human service organisations that employ social workers should ensure adequate provision of resources and professional staff, with a range of expertise and appropriate qualifications to facilitate quality service delivery. As social work practice is interconnected with other systems and does not operate in a vacuum, social workers are often expected to interact with clients, communities or other professionals. They should therefore be competent and able to practice within the value perspective of the profession, guided by the professional code of ethics and values. A social worker’s report is one form of interaction and communication between the social worker and others, among whom are children’s court presiding officers. Children’s courts use social workers reports to assist them in decision making pertaining to matters relating to children. Although social workers are expected to be competent in record keeping and report writing by the time they graduate, the quality of their reports is often questioned by other professionals who use them to assist in decision-making. With this state of affairs, there is growing concern about the quality of social work reports, and the social work fraternity is asking the question, “what are the factors that contribute to the quality of reports compiled by social workers for children’s courts?” and “what should be done to ensure that social workers adhere to standards of proficient report writing?”

Among the questions that drew attention were these. Are San Joaquin County's juvenile delinquents the sane as, or different than those found elsewhere? that happens to the youngster after the police refer him on into the corrections structure? What are the criteria by which decisions are made? Who makes the decisions? What services are offered? What facilities does San Joaquin County have in which to treat the juvenile? What services are offered in the institutions? In view of the current levels of knowledge, is our county doing an adequate job? Statistics are cited as necessary to delineate the source, nature and size of San Joaquin County's delinquency problem. Internal problems and assets of the Probation Department that affect the juveniles are evaluated, and these include such items as caseloads, personnel turnover and the new Special Supervision program. Detention facilities will be examined with an eye to adequacy and efficiency. If found necessary, recommendations will be made. It is not anticipated that all of the obvious questions can be answered, but it is anticipated that a study can be produced that will be of some value to the community generally, and to the county government in particular.

Prior to 1990, very few countries in the world offered special protection to child witnesses interfacing with the justice system. There were no legal provisions permitting testimonial accommodations for children in court. The courtroom experience was significantly traumatic for the children. With the international focus shifting from protecting and upholding the rights of the accused in the courtroom towards a more victim-centred approach, various international and regional instruments have strongly dvocated that children deserve special protection because of their vulnerability. In order for the courts to be able to elicit accurate evidence from the child without further traumatizing the child, research has shown that the child needs assistance. An intermediary may be defined as a person who facilitates communication between the child and the courtroom in a manner that takes into account the child‟s cognitive and developmental limitations. The thesis was prompted by the need to make a contribution to the currently limited body of literature on the intermediary systems in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia by investigating how the systems can be improved and sustained in a way that helps to protect the child witness in court. Despite the problems the South African courts have had in identifying the appropriate interpretation of its intermediary legislation, the country emerges as a clear leader for the steps it took by creating a positive legal framework within which child protection issues are addressed and introducing the concept of the intermediary. This concept proved to be an inspiration to its neighbours, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The influence of the South African intermediary legislation is evident in the Namibian and Zimbabwean legislation. Although Namibian legislators have drafted laws that permit intermediary assistance in court, there are as yet no intermediaries appointed. In Ethiopia, although there is no discernible intermediary legislation, the country has managed to establish an intermediary system. As a result of the analysis conducted, it is evident that the efficacy of the intermediary system is dependent on the presence of an enabling legislation, its clarity and ease of interpretation, the sensitisation of court role players on child vulnerabilities, the significance of intermediary assistance, and finally a government's commitment towards the implementation process.

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Social Sciences