The New York Sociologist, Vol. 3, 2008 The History of Defining Youth: Current I mplications for I dentifying and Treating Delinquent Youth Robin M. Hartinger-Saunders, State University of New York at Fredonia Abstract This article presents a historical overview of how legally and socially constructed definitions of childhood and youth have, and continue to, shape the identification, treatment and research surrounding delinquent youth. Even though we age biologically along a continuum, formal social systems, most notably the courts and our system of rights, are based on specific chronological age parameters which impose a rigid element to something that is otherwise fluid. This often results in subjective decision making regarding sanctions and treatment options among family and criminal court systems as well as other professionals who work closely with delinquent youth. This article highlights the importance of considering more than the specific delinquent act in determining the fate of youth. Consideration of individual characteristics and environmental factors will bring us closer to a more comprehensive strategy including intervention efforts to the family and community/ neighborhood level to stimulate long term change. I ntroduction Society has not always viewed or treated children as a distinct category separate from adults. Many historians argue that the concept of childhood as a socially distinct category developed sometime during the seventeenth century while others suggest it may have been earlier (Jensen & Rojek, 1998; Mays & Winfree, 2001). Prior to the 17th century, children were considered property. There were often non-existent or limited emotional connections to children like one would expect in families today. High infant 88