This paper is about the dynamical evolution of a family of chaotic jerk systems, which have different attractors for varying values of parameter a. By using Hopf bifurcation analysis, bifurcation diagrams, Lyapunov exponents, and cross sections, both self-excited and hidden attractors are explored. The self-exited chaotic attractors are found via a supercritical Hopf bifurcation and period-doubling cascades to chaos. The hidden chaotic attractors (related to a subcritical Hopf bifurcation, and with a unique stable equilibrium) are also found via period-doubling cascades to chaos. A circuit implementation is presented for the hidden chaotic attractor. The methods used in this paper will help understand and predict the chaotic dynamics of quadratic jerk systems.