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This study examines whether parents have the prerequisite knowledge about police interrogation that would allow them to compensate for youths' knowledge deficits, protect their interests, and buffer against their vulnerability to coercion. A racially diverse urban/suburban convenience sample of 77 11- to 13-year-olds, 46 14- to 15-year-olds, and 47 16- to 17-year-olds and their parents completed a semi-structured interview on knowledge of legal rights and police practices. Results show that parents know more than younger adolescents about components of the Miranda warning and its behavioral implications but do not necessarily know more about police strategy or the parameters of parental protection. Age and socioeconomic status were associated with youths' risk for poor knowledge. Among parents, IQ, race, and the child's age predicted risk classification. Parent IQ, socioeconomic status, and youths' justice experience, race, and age predicted whether families were classified as at risk for poor knowledge. The results question legal assumptions about parents' capacity for protecting youths' interests without intervention.

Parents were interviewed about the media habits of their 6-month to 6-year-old children. For children who had used computers, linear increases in computer usage occurred across this age range with a shift from using a computer on a parent's lap at about age 2 1/2 to autonomous computer and mouse use at about age 3 1/2. There were almost no gender differences in early computer patterns. Families with higher incomes and higher education levels were more likely to own computers and to have Internet access from home. Latino families were least likely to own a computer; Latino and African American families were less likely than Caucasian families to have Internet access at home. Parents perceived computers favorably for children's learning. No relationship was found between the frequency with which children play computer games and the likelihood that they can read, but increased nongame computer use was associated with increased likelihood of reading. Keywords: computers; infants; preschoolers; ethnicity; gender

An effective (e.g., honest, trusting, and informed) attorney-client relationship is required for adolescents to properly assist counsel in their own defense. These relationships require (a) an understanding of the advocacy role of the attorney, and (b) a sense of trust that the attorney will work diligently to defend and protect their client. However, younger adolescents struggle to understand the advocacy role of defense attorneys and tend to misunderstand attorney-client privilege. Although parents may be thought of as compensating for their children's lack of knowledge and experience, it is not clear whether parents themselves understand the lawyer's role and how the lawyer may interact differently with parents and youthful clients. We review the empirical literature on youth understanding of the attorney-client relationship, particularly for public defenders and court-appointed counsel. We also report results from an empirical study of parents' and youths' understanding of lawyers, including age-based differences in expectations of attorney behavior. We discuss the implications for policy and practice for individual lawyers who represent youth as well as the justice system more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adding to the body of research that describes students who will bring weapons to school, the current research examined middle-school students' willingness to report when they know someone has a weapon at school. The sample included 1,957 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders from 27 schools in five states. Overall. a majority of students indicated that they would be willing to report; however, there were significant effects for the conditions of reporting (such as anonymity) and effects for some demographic characteristics. Furthermore. students who perceived adult or parental involvement in their lives were more willing to report. In contrast, students with delinquent involvement (self or peers) were significantly less likely to report the presence of weapons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This article reviews how training programs and professional organizations can work together to better prepare legal psychology graduate students and early career professionals (ECPs) for their first postgraduate careers., Method: In 2019, the American Psychology-Law Society released a report exploring the unique needs of ECPs in the field of legal psychology. The surveyed ECPs overwhelmingly highlighted the importance of grappling with rising student debt, the critical need to diversify our field and better prepare students for jobs outside academia, and a desire for more policy and real-world experience. Much work remains to better support our ECPs. This article reviews the relevant literature and the 2019 survey findings to provide legal psychology graduate training programs and professional organizations with 12 recommendations to better address ECPs' stated needs and prepare students for their transition to postgraduate life., Results: First, we describe how graduate programs and organizations can successfully diversify legal psychology by not only expanding membership but also creating an inclusive community in which members can thrive. Next, we outline how to best support students' financial needs by providing financial education early and advocating for expanded financial support. Finally, we discuss the importance of preparing students for a variety of careers to ensure greater student success and expand the impact of legal psychology. Specifically, graduate training and professional development should reflect the vast career opportunities throughout academia, clinical practice, industry, advocacy, and government., Conclusion: Together, these recommendations encourage graduate programs and organizations such as the American Psychology-Law Society to augment their support of graduate students and ECPs navigating an ever-changing career landscape. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The juvenile court was created in 1899 in part to remedy the unfairness of trying youth in the adult criminal justice system, but its success at rectifying those problems is unclear. One concern is that the vast majority of youth who are adjudicated delinquent are adjudicated after waiving their right to trial and entering a guilty plea. Fairness and equity in the plea bargaining process are premised on the assumption that youth have the capacity to understand and elect between available options and will be given a meaningful opportunity to choose without coercion and deception. In legal terms, the Constitution will only sanction a plea when the defendant makes a knowing, voluntary, and intelligent waiver of her right to trial. In this chapter, we briefly describe the juvenile court process and explain the circumstances of a plea bargain, which constitutes both a waiver of Constitutional rights and an agreement to certain conditions. Then we evaluate the research and practice knowledge regarding the legal components of a valid waiver-that it must be knowing and voluntary. We consider how information, capacity, and circumstance contribute to a knowing waiver. Then we examine how procedural justice, paternalism, and coercion may affect a voluntary waiver. Throughout, we consider whether the people, policies, and practices meant to assess and safeguard that waiver decision fulfill their intended purpose., (© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)