Explanation:
The balanced approach can be defined as a solution to the traditional treatment issue of the juvenile justice system. In other words, the balanced approach aims to renew the juvenile justice system by including accountability and public protection to it. The balanced approach is divided into four elements namely, Accountability, Community Protection, Competency Development and Balance.
Accountability can be understood as an obligation to the victim, on the occasion of the occurrence of the offense. More specifically, the losses incurred by the victims and communities should be reinstated by the offenders. The victims should act as active participants in the juvenile justice system. Donna should pay for the losses incurred by the victim. She can be asked to serve the elderly woman, who suffered several broken ribs and a concussion. The victim should participate in the restorative justice hearing. The next element relates to community protection which means the right of the public to a safe and secure community. The juvenile justice system must provide a variety of intervention techniques, befitting to the risks presented by the offenders. Competency development relates to the development of the juvenile offenders in terms of productive and responsible citizens of the community. The balanced approach not only aims to provide treatment and services to the juvenile offenders. It also aims at identifying measurable enhancements in the offenders, as productive and responsible citizens. Donna should be rehabilitated so that she can act as a responsible citizen of the community. She can be conditioned to behave in the desirable way by positive reinforcements. The balanced approach strives to give balanced attention to community, victim and offender. The community, victim and offender are entitled to tangible benefits under the juvenile justice system. The victim will receive benefits in terms of money and service from Donna. Donna will receive benefit in the form of avoidance of harsh punishment and rehabilitation. The community will receive benefit in the form of services from Donna.
Donna should be sent to the correctional center or any rehabilitation center to check her undesirable behavior for a period of 12 months. She should be asked to serve the community and the victim for 12 hours every month for a year, thereby performing desirable behaviors. She can choose the desirable behavior to be performed. This will help Donna to identify what behaviors are accepted by the community. She will be able to distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviors of different kinds.
