Citation

Titus JJ. Youth Violence Juv. Justice 2005; 3(2): 116-132.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1541204004273313

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article explores the dramaturgy of juvenile transfer provisions for the vestiges of ancient practices of child sacrifice that they reveal. Relying on theories by Girard, the social discord caused by young children who commit violent criminal acts is examined as a sacrificial crisis. The rhetorical demonization of the child criminal is described as their expurgation (as "Other"), the means by which their status is converted to scapegoat for the innocents their surrogacy benefits. Rather than deterrence or retribution functions, the legal response to children's normative violations that involves transferring children to adult criminal court are presented here as an institutionalized and symbolic form of sacrifice to resolve a cultural crisis and ensure societal cohesion.