Juvenile Justice and Youth Advocacy

Why Juvenile Justice?

• Help provide opportunity and success to young people
• Excellent alternative to criminal justice
• Interesting and contemporary curriculum with a unique focus on youth
• Prepare for diverse job opportunities in direct service, administration, or policy in non-profits or government

Why Wheelock?

• Focuses specifically on youth, unlike broader criminal justice programs
• Emphasizes social justice and positive development
• Close relationships with faculty who have extensive experience as practitioners
• College-wide mission to improve the lives of children and families

Millions of youth come in contact with the U.S. legal system each year, and hundreds of thousands will be placed in locked settings. The juvenile justice system has a mandate that stresses both rehabilitation and punishment. Unfortunately, our system often relies on punishment and fails to rehabilitate.

In our program, we strive to imagine and create more effective prevention and response for youth at risk. Our dual goal is to support youth and their families, and ensure the safety of our communities.

You will learn about the juvenile justice system and how to work with youth and families inside and outside of this legal system. Your preparation will be firmly grounded in an understanding of adolescent development.

Program Options

In addition to a professional major in Juvenile Justice and Youth Advocacy, you'll choose an Arts and Sciences major (American Studies, the Arts, Communications & Media Literacy, Human Development, the Humanities, or Math/ Science). You may also double-major in Social Work.

Hands-On Experience

Through a variety of field experiences and a semester-long internship, you will experience the conditions and circumstances that place youth at risk, as well as effective methods for prevention, advocacy, and intervention. Recent internship sites include:

• Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. (antipoverty agency)
• Boston City Hall
• Boston Superior Court Probation Department
• Children's Law Center
• Community Transition School (public school for court-involved youth)
• EdLaw Project (educational advocacy program)
• Germaine Lawrence, Inc. (adolescent treatment facility for girls)
• A New Leaf (girls' group home)
• Rhode Island Juvenile Drug Court
• Youth Advocacy Project (public defender program)

Sample Courses

• Causes and Prevention of Delinquency
• Integrative Seminar in Juvenile Justice
• Introduction to Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
• Juvenile Courts and Juvenile Law
• Juvenile Intervention and Advocacy

Skills You'll Learn

• Advocacy and networking
• Community and family engagement
• Conflict resolution
• Youth work
• Legal knowledge
• Problem solving and critical thinking
•  Program development and implementation
• Relationship building

Potential Careers

• After-school program director
• Corrections caseworker
• Counselor
•  Intake or probation officer
• Juvenile treatment program director
• Lawyer
• Police officer
• Private investigator
• State representative
• Teacher
• Victim advocate

Potential Graduate Study

• Criminal justice/criminology
• Education
• Law
• Psychology
• Public policy
• Social work