Careers in juvenile justice can be found in many different jobs. Whatever that career choice may be, a formal or informal “benefits versus difficulties” analysis should be run by a prospective employee in the field of juvenile justice. On the minus side of things, a job in juvenile justice can be a very trying thing, and thus, demands experience in working with children, patience, forcefulness when needed, and a strong commitment to improving the lives of youths, among other things.

Another unfortunate reality of juvenile justice is it will often take practitioners to neighborhoods and communities where negative environmental resources are abundant and monetary resources are not. Thus, not only is the work hard and the hours long, but the rewards for the employee and the children they are trying to protect may be limited.

Regardless, a career in juvenile justice may prove most satisfying under the notion that one’s deeds are done in the best interests of children, families and communities in need. Usually, the best juvenile justice workers are the people with the highest ratings of intrinsic motivation. Additionally, with the incidence of juvenile crime still so high and some people not willing to do certain jobs within this field for fear of working for delinquent populations or smaller salaries, many professions under the juvenile justice umbrella are in high demand and may offer the employee more job security than other sectors might traditionally expect.

Though it likely goes without saying, not everyone is suited for juvenile probation jobs. Probation officers, for one, often must work long hours with children and family who may not be easy to work with, and officers may even have to carry a weapon for their protection. Needless to say, juvenile probation officer jobs tend to be high-stress positions.

Besides this, though, professionals in the area of juvenile probation must usually go to school and receive the requisite training. For probation officers, at least a bachelor’s degree in a field like criminal justice, psychology or social work is almost certainly a given. Physical and written examinations need to be passed as well, along with training, especially for officers who work at the State and Federal levels.

If one is thinking about becoming a juvenile probation officer, it is worthwhile to look at what juvenile probation officer jobs might entail. For the most part, this onus is on the officer to visit juvenile clients in their homes, at work, or some other amenable location – not the other way around – and assess these youths as to whether or not probation is the best option for them, apprising them of this very decision.

It should be stressed, though, that juvenile probation officer jobs are not the only juvenile probation jobs for which individuals might sign up. Some people in the employ of probation agencies are case managers who help orchestrate plans for a child’s release into the outside world and what course of treatment or rehabilitation is in his or her best interests. In addition, pretrial services officers in a probation agency’s employ are instrumental in the decision of whether or not a child should be released before an adjudication hearing/trial even begins.

On the positive side of things, doing any juvenile justice job or making any juvenile justice career is rendering a service to one’s community. Realistically, the persistence of juvenile delinquency in the United States is not merely the failure of government, schools, or parents, but the collective failure of our communities to help “our” children. At that, to be a member of the juvenile justice system is to assist those who are among the most needy of all in our communities: delinquent children and children at risk. From a moral/ethical standpoint, this is a commendable line of work.

Thus, to contemplate a juvenile justice career is to contemplate a career full of children that much of society does not really want. Rather than do the hard work of trying to reform them, some individuals would just as well have juvenile delinquents locked up and out of the way, and certainly would not wish to interact with them. The more people that shy away from a particular juvenile justice job, though, the more available that position will become. Definitely, one should consider the objections of people he or she knows and respects, but depending on the nature of the work, the job security could be a tantalizing prospect.

However, as much as some people are resistant about starting a juvenile justice career, they will also likely be resistant in funding them. Some positions within the field of juvenile justice are not well compensated and so the moral incentive to do these kinds of jobs is tempered by the strain this could put on people’s spending. In some cases, too, this may be related to the insufficient resources some justice departments get. Truly, without the proper means, it can be hard to make a difference in these children’s lives.