There is no doubt that youth justice practices have changed over the years, these changes have been made to adapt to the new challenges presented today. Delinquency in general, but more particularly juvenile delinquency, constitutes a constant problem for society. It was in the mid-19th century in England that Parliament first recognized juvenile delinquency as a distinctive social phenomenon and accepted responsibility not only for young offenders, but also for children who, even if they are not in trouble with the law, need full care and protection. Children who appeared in court were no longer seen as little adults but as full beings who were entitled because they were not fully responsible for their actions. Through this change in status, he accomplished the introduction of reformative rather than punitive treatment. A reform system undoubtedly distinguishes a child's crime from an adult's crime, replacing penal systems that had few provisions dedicated to children. This departure resulted in the Herbert Samuels Children's Act of 1908 (Margaret May 2002). The Children's Act of 1908 represented a key step in advancing the idea that children constituted a special category of problem. Through the establishment of juvenile courts which are criminal courts in terms of procedures and confer jurisdiction over matters of care and protection. Juvenile courts became the family law courts that provided family justice. Courts and the state may first intervene in working class family life when children are considered immoral, conditions considered neglect include: truancy, begging, being out of control, etc...Molony CommitteeThe Mol... ... middle of paper ...... allows the authorities to tackle their delinquent behavior but also to seek to reform their personality and their way of life in an institutionalized setting in which rigorous discipline was imposed and which then mimicked the harsh living conditions of industrial employment. Works Cited Brown, S. (2005) Understanding Young People and Crime: Listening to Young People. England: Open University PressHendrick, H. (2006) 'Stories of Youth Crime and Justice', in B. Goldson and J. Muncie (eds) Youth Crime and Justice. London: SageHome Office (1927) Report of the Departmental Committee on the Treatment of Young Offenders, Cmd 2831 (Molony Report). London: HMSO May, M. (2002) 'Innocence and experience: the evolving concept of juvenile delinquency in the mid-nineteenth century', in J. Muncie, G. Hughes and E, McLaughlin (2002) Youth Justice : critical readings. London: Sage