When offenses are neither serious, violent, nor chronic, it is typically viewed as acceptable to let the family take care of the problem. In this context, juvenile court is properly seen as a court of last resort. But at some point, the seriousness, violence, or repetitiveness of a juvenile's criminality suggests the family should relinquish control and that society should not entrust the problem to the attention and limited resources of the family. In this context, the responsibility for addressing and controlling the problem youth belongs to a "higher" power, namely the juvenile court. The...