This comprehensive reference work presents an in-depth analysis on the juvenile justice systems of 19 different countries, both in EU-member states (old and new) and in the United States and Canada. The book is the result of research conducted by a group of outstanding scholars working in the field of juvenile justice. The book reflects a collective concern about trends in juvenile justice over the past two decades; trends that have begun to blur the difference between criminal and juvenile justice. The introduction highlights similarities and differences between the various systems, identifying three clusters of countries with a similar approach to juvenile justice. In particular, differences are found between the Anglo-Saxon countries, and continental Europe. The former have a more formal "justice" approach, with a strong emphasis on the accountability of juveniles, "just desert" principles, and retribution, while the latter still operate on a "welfare" philosophy. Two special systems, the Scottish Hearing system and the Scandinavian model, are presented as well.

The Anglo-Saxon Orientation.- Punishment and Control: Juvenile Justice Reform in the USA.- Canada's Juvenile Justice System: Promoting Community-Based Responses to Youth Crime.- Beyond Welfare Versus Justice: Juvenile Justice in England and Wales.- Mainstreaming Restorative Justice for Young Offenders through Youth Conferencing: The Experience of Northern Ireland.- Transition and Reform: Juvenile Justice in the Republic of Ireland.- Just Desert and Welfare: Juvenile Justice in the Netherlands.- Western Continental Europe.- The French Juvenile Justice System.- Survival of the Protection Model? Competing Goals in Belgian Juvenile Justice.- Juvenile Justice in Germany: Between Welfare and Justice.- Austria: A Protection Model.- The Swiss Federal Statute on Juvenile Criminal Law.- The Emerging Juvenile Justice System in Greece.- Continuity and Change in the Spanish Juvenile Justice System.- Eastern Europe.- Continuity in the Welfare Approach: Juvenile Justice in Poland.- Restorative Approaches and Alternative Methods: Juvenile Justice Reform in the Czech Republic.- Welfare Versus Neo-Liberalism: Juvenile Justice in Slovenia.- Legal and Actual Treatment of Juveniles Within the Criminal Justice System of Bosnia and Herzegovina.- Two Special Systems.- The End of an Era? - Youth Justice in Scotland.- Keeping the Balance Between Humanism and Penal Punitivism: Recent Trends in Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice in Sweden.- Trends in International Juvenile Justice: What Conclusions Can be Drawn?.