Responses to Truancy Among the Juvenile Panel of a Magistrates' Court

This paper reports a questionnaire study of influences on magistrates' decision-making in truancy cases brought under section 1(2) (e) Children and Young Persons Act 1969. Their responses to a simulated report of a typical case indicated that, while a small minority favoured a care order, most were willing to follow a social work recommendation for supervision. A majority favoured the introduction of the controversial Leeds adjournment system. Individual problem were more frequently cited as causes of truancy than social issues, particularly poverly. This may be due to the typical language of social inquiry reports. The prevalence among magistrates of middleclass backgrounds and a lack of personal experience of truancy also seemed relevant. The attention of professional reports to wider issues is recommended

Criminology · Juvenile delinquency · Political science · Truancy · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Law · Law, logistics, and international trade · Medicine · Psychology · Social Work