The historical development of the juvenile court is reviewed by focusing on the goals of child savers during the 19th century and their efforts to establish humanitarian and preventive environments in institutions and schools used to house delinquent, neglected, and destitute youth. The influence of reform efforts on State and local governments is then discussed, with particular attention paid to legal statutes allowing the juvenile court to provide individualized treatment to delinquent and dependent youth. The emerging crisis of the juvenile court system is indicated by several court cases that established legal safeguards for youth. The traditional philosophy of the juvenile justice system is then critically examined in light of current trends in processing youthful offenders. Data covering the last decade reveal that the juvenile justice system has become more formal and punitive. Several future policy directions for juvenile courts are discussed, and a neotraditional approach to juvenile justice is recommended that emphasizes individualized treatment in the community setting. 4 references.