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Article . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Article . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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From juvenile delinquency (JD) to disability-mediated offending (DMO): A developmental and legal reframing of youth crime

Authors: Chia, Kok Hwee;

From juvenile delinquency (JD) to disability-mediated offending (DMO): A developmental and legal reframing of youth crime

Abstract

Juvenile delinquency is a central concept in criminal law and criminology, referring to unlawful or antisocial behavior committed by individuals who have not yet reached the age of legal adulthood (ALA). This paper examines who qualifies as a juvenile delinquent and how juvenile delinquency (JD) is conceptualized and regulated across jurisdictions, with particular attention to age thresholds, legal definitions, and the objectives of juvenile justice systems. It further explores how juvenile justice frameworks respond to young offenders with special needs, including those with intellectual, developmental, cognitive, or psychosocial disabilities, who are disproportionately represented within justice systems worldwide. While such juveniles are generally subject to the same legal regimes governing juvenile delinquency, comparative legal analysis demonstrates that many jurisdictions recognize the necessity of tailored protections, assessments, and rehabilitative interventions. Building on this recognition, the author of this paper introduces the concept of Disability-Mediated Offending (DMO) to distinguish disability-influenced rule violations from typical juvenile delinquency. DMO is proposed as a neutral, mechanism-focused framework that emphasizes how neurodevelopmental impairments interact with environmental and systemic factors to mediate offending behavior. By integrating developmental science, disability rights principles, and contemporary juvenile justice theory, this paper argues for a more nuanced, equitable, and rehabilitative approach to youth offending that better reflects differences in culpability, intent, and capacity. 

Keywords

Juvenile Justice, Disability-Mediated Offending (DMO), Age of Legal Adulthood (ALA), Juvenile Delinquency (JD), Special Needs Offenders

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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