10.4. Delinquency 
ALISON S. BURKE 
Before the creation of the juvenile court, there was no such thing as “delinquency.” Youth were convicted 
of crimes, the same as adults.  Just as the concept of “childhood” is socially constructed, scholars also say that 
“juvenile delinquency” is likewise socially constructed as a result of social, economic, and religious changes. 
1 The juvenile court oversees cases for youth between the ages of 7 and 17. Seven is considered the lower 
limit of the reaches or protections of the juvenile justice system, while 17 is the upper limit. At 18, youth 
are considered adults and are tried under the laws of the adult criminal justice system. However, some states 
have differing upper age limits. For example, in Oregon, the Oregon Youth Authority houses youth until 
the age of 25.  Other states have similar provisions and although the lower limit is seven years of age, most 
states do not intervene in cases under nine. 
 
Youth Processing Ages 
After the creation of the juvenile court, the child savers and reformers were worried that restricting the court 
1. Feld, B.C. (1999). Bad Kids: Race and the Transformation of the Juvenile Court. New York: Oxford University Press. 
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