Foreword

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jfcj.12146
• Published date: 01 September 2019
• Date: 01 September 2019

Foreword

For 70 years, the Juvenile & Family Court Journal (the Journal) has focused on issues

of interest to the field of juvenile and family justice, including child abuse and neglect,

juvenile delinquency, domestic violence, substance abuse, child custody and visitation,

judicial leadership and ethics, and other related topics. The National Council of Juvenile

and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) launched the Journal for its membership in Septem-

ber of 1949 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the juvenile court in the United

States. Known until 1969 as the Juvenile Court Judges Journal, the publication has always

contained a broad range of articles. That first issue featured articles titled, “15 Recom-

mendations Made by National Council in Reviewing Juvenile Court and Children’s

Problems” and “Juvenile Court Child’s Protector: A Question of Human Rights;” begin-

ning a long history of tackling challenging topics. Recognition of the importance of

research and data was exemplified in that first issue by this quote from the Director of

the Division of Research and Statistics, in Cleveland’s juvenile court, “...we realized that

if the Juvenile Court was to know what it was accomplishing it was essential to have a

division of research and statistics.” After several name changes (Juvenile Court Journal,

1969–1972, Juvenile Justice, 1972–1977, Journal of Juvenile and Family Court, 1978–

1980), today’s Juvenile & Family Court Journal (1980–present) continues to include arti-

cles on a similarly wide range of topics.

Over the past 7 decades, not only has the NCJFCJ grown and changed, but juvenile

and family justice as a field has evolved as well. There have been many important U.S.

Supreme Court decisions, numerous state and federal law changes, major policy shifts,

important research findings, and untold changes in the broader society. Through it all,

the Journal has not only been an important contributor but also an important mirror of

sorts, reflecting back to us the evolving face of juvenile and family justice. That mirror

has reflected the changing demographics of the populations served by juvenile and family

courts and of the judges that sit on the bench in those courtrooms.

In observance of this 70th anniversary, the NCJFCJ brings a set of special issues to

the Journal. Volume 70, Issue 1 revisits the 1988 introduction of the Balanced Approach

to juvenile probation, provides a review of how Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ)

spread, and highlights work in two states, Oregon and Pennsylvania, which have a strong

belief in BARJ as the foundation of their juvenile justice systems. Issue 2 focuses on

trauma, its impact on juvenile and family courts, and ways in which courts and related

agencies are becoming more trauma-responsive. Issue 3 covers major federal legislation

and U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have had an impact on juvenile and family courts

over the past 70 years. Issue 4 takes a look back at NCJFCJ’s 1999 publication Effective

Interventions in Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policy and

Juvenile and Family Court Journal 70, No. 3

©2019 National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

5