Passing the Threshold of One Justice System to the Next: Challenges of Emerging Young Adults in Hong Kong’s Adult Criminal Justice Process

In many criminal justice systems, there is a clear separation for juvenile and adult defendants. However, those in between, referred to as emerging young adult defendants (ages 18-25 years), are treated as adult defendants despite a growing recognition that emerging adulthood is a distinct period in...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Cheng, Kevin Kwok-yin (Autor)
Otros Autores: Leung, Becky Po-Yee
Tipo de documento: Electrónico Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2018
En: International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology
Año: 2018, Volumen: 62, Número: 9, Páginas: 2650-2668
Acceso en línea: Volltext (Verlag)
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Verificar disponibilidad: HBZ Gateway
Palabras clave:
Court
Criminal defendants
Criminal justice process
Criminal procedure
Emerging adults
Jugendliche Straftäter
Young offenders
Descripción
Sumario:In many criminal justice systems, there is a clear separation for juvenile and adult defendants. However, those in between, referred to as emerging young adult defendants (ages 18-25 years), are treated as adult defendants despite a growing recognition that emerging adulthood is a distinct period in the life course. The aim of this present study is to investigate the experiences and challenges faced by emerging young adult defendants (N = 25) in Hong Kong’s adult criminal justice process. Through in-depth semistructured interviews, it was found that emerging young adult defendants demonstrated a lack of understanding regarding their rights and the legal procedures, faced stress in being caught up in the criminal justice process, and were susceptible to influence by others, particularly family members, in making legal decisions. Implications and future directions of study are discussed.
ISSN:1552-6933
DOI:10.1177/0306624X17723640