he Industrial Revolution, and the care of children in general was more and more based on the perspective that recognized their weakness and the fact that they were developing organisms requiring special instruction and moral training. However, Wilkerson (1973) reports that it was not until the 18th century that this differing perspective of children began to be reflected in the courts.
For example, Wilkerson notes that in the 19th century, both Illinois and Colorado established separate juvenile courts to provide children with less harsh treatment for behaviors considered delinquent. This fact has special importance for abused and neglected children because it was frequently they who, as a result of maltreatment, were brought before the courts for delinquent actions.
Prior to the establishment of such courts, children could be, and often were, put to death for actions such as stealing a loaf of bread. Unfortunately, this new view of justice as it applied to children was not fully realized since the correctional and remedial p
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