Judicial Paternalism and Gender Bias in the late 20th Century American Juvenile Justice System

In the late 20th century, American society is characterized by a rising number of youth crimes and increasing “toughened” criminal policies. It is worth noticing that American juvenile courts involved gender bias in their judgments and measurement of penalties, that young women were treated more severely at trials and sentencing. In this research paper from my class “American Legal History II,” I delved into state-level acts and specific treatments that concern juvenile delinquency to investigate the presence of gender bias in the juvenile justice system during the late 20th century.

Advisor: Professor Michael Willrich