The juvenile justice system was initially formed to administer for juveniles a distinctively different style of case disposition than that offered in adult criminal courts. In recognition of the diminished capacity and immaturity of juveniles, the juvenile court has traditionally focused on supplying rehabilitative services rather than punitive sanctions based on crime severity. This philosophy of juvenile justice is under attack in many State legislatures as they react to public pressure to deal with the violent and severely injurious behavior of many juveniles. The trend in many States has been toward holding juveniles criminally accountable for serious crimes to the extent of either transferring them to adult court for disposition or increasing the severity of sanctions available to the juvenile court. Should the increased social disintegration of the American family continue, thus spawning increased deviant behavior among juveniles, it is likely that the juvenile court of the future will not have jurisdiction over youths aged 14 and older charged with a felony. At the same time, the juvenile court will have a heavier caseload of cases that involve abused and neglected children as well as status offenders. 35 references