An analysis of the history of juvenile justice over the last two hundred years, this innovative study shows how juvenile justice policy has gone through cycles of reform advocating either lenient treatments for juvenile offenders or policies supporting a "toughening up" process, both approaches resulting in little or no improvement in the treatment of delinquency. Bernard stresses the importance of breaking this repetitive cycle and makes recommendations for a stable juvenile justice policy, one that would not be continuously reformed in the never-ending search for a solution. Analyzing the "best" and "worst" aspects of various policies, as well as the state of the present system, this book will provide an controversial and challenging look at the issues involved in juvenile justice.