Continuity and Change in the History of Scottish Juvenile Justice

Abstract

This paper explores the theme of continuity and change in the history of Scottish juvenile justice, drawing attention to the longer historical view which enables us to focus on the underlying continuities between nineteenth and twentieth century developments. In this context the paper presents a number of key research findings based on extensive primary research on Victorian and Edwardian Scotland. These focus on three areas: the role of reformatory and industrial schools, the operation of the early juvenile courts and the impact of new scientific discourses. The paper argues that these insights are of value in supporting an interpretation of reform which in many ways complements explanations in the existing literature but is also distinctive in placing particular weight on mid nineteenth century philanthropic dynamism as a primary catalyst of reform.