Adolescents in the juvenile justice system are expected to understand and use legal terms that are unfamiliar, abstract, or used differently than in everyday speech. At present there is no established list of which legal terms matter most and which are most often misunderstood — that knowledge sits with the professionals who work with these youth directly, which is why we are asking you.

Our research group trains speech-language pathologists, some of whom go on to work with adolescents in juvenile justice settings, and we currently have little evidence to tell them which vocabulary to prioritize. Using your ratings, we will test how well adolescents actually understand the highest-priority terms, then develop and evaluate instructional materials for teaching them.

The long-term goal is a practical, evidence-based set of vocabulary targets and teaching tools that help youth participate more meaningfully in proceedings that affect their lives.

You may be eligible for this study if you meet the following criteria.

Inclusion Criteria:

• You currently serve as a juvenile court judge, referee, or hearing officer, or as a probation officer with a juvenile caseload
• You work in a juvenile or family court in the United States
• You have at least one year of experience in your current role
• You have direct contact with youth during court proceedings, intake, supervision, or case management

This study will ask you to draw on your expertise as a juvenile court professional in an online survey that takes about 25 minutes and can be completed on your own schedule.

• Review 50 legal terms commonly used in juvenile proceedings, rating their importance and the age at which youth typically understand them
• A few optional questions about developmental language disorders
• Some identifying details are collected to verify eligibility but the study survey itself is anonymous

Because many participants are public officials who cannot personally accept compensation, Michigan State University will make a $25 donation as a gesture of appreciation for each completed survey, up to 150 responses. Participants may select one of three nonprofit organizations to receive the donation, or they may choose not to have a donation made. Participants do not personally receive payment.

There is no cost for you to participate in our survey.