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Even as the number of females processed through juvenile courts climbs steadily, an implicit consensus remains among scholars in criminal justice that male adolescents define the delinquency problem in the United States. We suggest two reasons why this view persists. First, female adolescents are accused primarily of victimless crimes, such as truancy, that do not involve clear-cut damage to persons or property. If committed by adults, these actions are not even considered prosecutable; if committed by juvenile males, they have traditionally been looked on leniently by the courts. Thus ironically, the plight of female delinquents receives little scrutiny because they are accused of committing relatively minor offenses. Second, the courts have long unjustified so-called preventive intervention into the lives of young females viewed as antisocial with the rationale that women are especially vulnerable. Traditional stereotypes of women as the weaker and more dependent sex have led to earlier intervention and longer periods of misdirected supervision for female delinquents than for males.
Which of the following statements best expresses the irony pointed out by the authors in lines 17-21 of the passage?
A.Female delinquents tend to commit victimless crimes more frequently than their male counterparts.
B.The predicament of male delinquents receives more attention than that of females because males are accused of more serious crimes.
C.Adults are frequently punished less severely than adolescents for committing more serious crimes.
D.The juvenile justice system cannot correct its biases because it does not even recognize them.
E.Although the number of female delinquents is steadily increasing, the crimes of which they are accused are not particularly serious.
It can be inferred from the passage that the authors believe traditional stereotypes of women to be
A.frequently challenged
B.persistently inexplicable
C.potentially harmful
D.rapidly changing
E.habitually disregarded
The passage suggests that scholars in criminal justice could be criticized for which of the following?
A.Underestimating the seriousness of juvenile crime
B.Rationalizing the distinction made between juveniles and adults in the legal system
C.Concerning themselves too little with the prevention of juvenile delinquency
D.Focusing on those whose crimes have involved damage to persons or property
E.Failing to point out injustices in the correctional system
