Youth Offenders Article Summary

Steinberg’s (2004) article delves into the psychological and psychosocial effects of exposure to the justice system on youth offenders as it bears on their criminal careers. The author argues that exposure to contexts introduced by the justice system with a view to reform youth offenders disrupt “normative psychosocial development”, and so make it difficult for them to reenter civil society (Steinberg 2004, p. 1). These features of the article make it relevant to a course on youth and crime justice. Steinberg (2004, p.1) proposes to survey milestones in normative psychosocial development of youths with respect to the moderating effect of “contextual influences” introduced by social contingencies in general and the justice system particular.