Social Investigation Reports in the Juvenile Court

Abstract

This article discusses the timing of the social investigation and the proper use of social investigation reports by the juvenile court, with particular attention to the use of such reports by the judge on the question of adjudication; their availability to the child, his parents, and counsel when used in disposition; and their accessibility to appellate courts, private social agencies, governmental agencies, and others. All-or-nothing alternatives are rejected; the proper legislative and juridical approach must be based on an accommodation of the various interests. In de linquency cases the social investigation should not commence until an adjudication of involvement is made; the report should be consulted by the judge only as an aid in making disposition. As to disclosure, the issue is not whether it should be made but rather how much of the contents of the report should be disclosed. Suggested guidelines for disclosure of the report to the child, his attorney, and appellate courts are based on accommodation of the interest of the juvenile in the accuracy, relevance, and comprehensiveness of the information upon which a legal determination is made, and the interest of the caseworker in pre serving the integrity of his relationship with the child and the privacy of information revealed to him in confidence.