Barton, William H. (2004). Bridging Juvenile Justice and Positive Youth Development. The Youth Development Handbook: Coming of Age in American Communities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

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The chapter begins with an overview of the juvenile justice system, its history, structure, programs, and policies. Juvenile justice is described as one among many distinct service systems traditionally dealing with youth problems. A synopsis of evidence indicates what does and does not work in juvenile justice and the inherent limitations of an approach based on “the medical model.” Recent progressive approaches in juvenile justice are more hospitable to positive youth development principles than are previous approaches. In contrast to the traditional response to youth problems, one embracing positive youth development requires a strengths-based, ecological view that integrates services across systems. The chapter concludes with applications of juvenile justice programs that incorporate positive youth development principles and recommendations for further action to bridge these two seemingly incompatible worlds.