Developmental psychology is the science of how beings evolve throughout the lifespan. The focus is on individual behaviors in different contexts at different stages of development, beginning before birth and spanning into old age and until death. The study of law is concerned with when and why individuals do and do not conform to rules, norms, and laws, and as such, also focuses on behaviors. In The Oxford Handbook of Developmental Psychology and the Law, Allison D. Redlich and Jodi A. Quas have brought together experts across multiple disciplines, including psychology, criminology, education, law, and policy, who focus on the interface between developmental science and law across crucial but also very different periods of development. Chapters are written by leading and emerging scholars who review the existing literature in their respective fields, both integrating findings and highlighting ongoing controversies and gaps. The text is divided into sections that map onto developmental stages (birth through adolescence, adulthood, and aging) and then further into civil and criminal subsections. Coverage includes topics such as prenatal and infant abuse; the development of antisocial behavior in children, adolescents, and adults; questioning of minor and elderly victims, witnesses, and suspects; treatment of at-risk individuals across multiple settings (e.g., criminal courts, immigration, custody, and adoption hearings); experiences in prison; reentry transitions after incarceration; and reproductive and end-of-life legal rights. Insightful and forward looking, the Handbook provides crucial foundational knowledge of the field and offers concrete suggestions for next steps and conclusions for practitioners and scientists who are working to push the field forward and use the knowledge for more informed decision-making.
Chapter 1: Infant, Child, and Adolescent Development and the Law: Intersections, Interactions, and Influences - Jodi Quas and Allison Redlich Chapter 2: The Relational Context of Early Development: Consequences of Maltreatment in Infancy and Effective Early Intervention - Ann M. Stacks, Danielle Rice, Kathleen Allen, and Eleanor Rabior Chapter 3: Developmental Pathways to Antisocial Behavior: Implications for Juvenile Justice Policy and Practice - Paul J. Frick, Emily C. Kemp, and Julianne S. Speck Chapter 4: Memory, Suggestibility, and Disclosure Processes: Implications for Children in Legal Settings - Emily M. Slonecker, Alma P. Olaguez, Rachel L. Taffe, and J. Zoe Klemfuss Chapter 5: The Developmental Science of Children in Criminal and Dependency Court - Rayna Enriquez, Lily F. Brown, Gail S. Goodman, Stacy Metcalf, and Jodi A. Quas Chapter 6: Attachment and Parenting Time for Children Under Three Years of Age - William V. Fabricius Chapter 7: Child Development and the Child Welfare System - Clare Huntington Chapter 8: A Developmental Perspective on Unaccompanied Migrant Youth in the U.S. Immigration Legal System - Kalina M. Brabeck, Deborah Gonzalez, Sarah Rendón García, and Adrian Pendergast Chapter 9: Adoption - Jesús Palacios, David M. Brodzinsky, and Harold D. Grotevant Chapter 10: The Promise and Problems of Policy-Minded Developmental Research: Recognizing Our Implicit Value Judgments and The Limits of Our Research - Thomas D. Lyon and Michael E. Lamb Chapter 11: Risky and Antisocial Behavior in Adolescence - Michelle E. Manasse and Cesar J. Rebellon Chapter 12: Adolescent Victims and Witnesses: Disclosures, Memory, and Suggestibility - Joshua Wyman, Rachel Dianiska, Hayden Henderson, and Lindsay C. Malloy Chapter 13: Police Interviewing and Interrogation of Adolescent Suspects - Hayley M. D. Cleary and Megan G. Crane Chapter 14: Youth in Juvenile and Criminal Court - Tina M. Zottoli, Tarika Daftary-Kapur, and Emily Haney-Caron Chapter 15: Alternatives to Traditional Court Processing: Diversion and Specialty Courts - Erika Fountain, Christina Ducat, and Allison Lloyd Chapter 16: Adolescent Incarceration: Rates, Impact, and Reform - Jodi L. Viljoen, Shanna M. Y. Li, Julia M. Schillaci-Ventura, and Dana M. Cochrane Chapter 17: Rethinking the Age of Majority - Vivian Hamilton Chapter 18: Schools and Juvenile Justice - Adam D. Fine, Kayleigh A. Stanek, and Andrea N. Montes Chapter 19: Adolescents and Youth Justice: Framing the Developmental Research - Thomas Grisso Chapter 20: Adult Development and the Law: Intersections, Interactions, and Influences - Allison D. Redlich and Jodi A. Quas Chapter 21: Understanding Deviancy in Adulthood - Chelsey S. Narvey and Alex R. Piquero Chapter 22: Transitioning to Adulthood in the Legal System: The Creation of Young Adult Courts - Marie L. Gillespie, Nicholas S. Riano, and Elizabeth Cauffman Chapter 23: Adults with Developmental Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System - Karen L. Salekin and Mary E. Wood Chapter 24: Pregnancy and Parenting in Prison - Rebecca J. Shlafer, Joanna Woolman, and Mariann A. Howland Chapter 25: The Impact of Reproductive Rights on Women's Development - Allison M. Whelan and Michele Goodwin Chapter 26: Racial Disparities in Policing: Psychological Consequences Over the Lifespan - Kelly C. Burke, Cynthia J. Najdowski, and Margaret C. Stevenson Chapter 27: Prisoner Reentry and the Life Course - Thomas P. LeBel and Matt Richie Chapter 28: Ethical Considerations and Ramifications of Advance Care Planning and End-of-Life Decision Making for Older Adults - Pamela B. Teaster and E. Carlisle Shealy Chapter 29: Older Adults as Victims and Witnesses - Eve Brank Chapter 30: Aging in the Criminal Justice System: A Call for Age-focused Research, Policy and Practice - Lindsey E. Wylie and Sarah Hubner Chapter 31: A Commentary on Adulthood/Aging, Developmental Psychology, and the Law - Nancy Rodriguez and Katherine Waggoner
Allison D. Redlich is a University Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University. She received her degree in Developmental Psychology and has applied developmental science to the study of interrogations and confessions; guilty pleas; and wrongful convictions. She publishes extensively in these three areas, is the author/editor of five books, and often presents to academic and practitioner audiences. Jodi A. Quas is Professor of Psychological Science in the Interdisciplinary School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine. Her scientific expertise concerns children's and adolescents' involvement in the justice system, as victims, witnesses, and suspects. She publishes extensively on all of these topics, regularly trains professionals across disciplines ranging from law and social work to education and healthcare, and works with policymakers and practitioners to find ways of improving the justice system's response to and involvement of a wide range of vulnerable youth.
