The role of the children in the courts has been debated and discussed for much of this country's history. Children have come into the court system in the more passive role as subjects of abuse, neglect, and dependency matters, and into juvenile courts in the more active role as perpetrators. There has been little consensus about the best way to treat children in the legal system, but there is agreement that children occupy a unique place.

In March 2018, Widener Commonwealth Law School hosted a panel of national experts to discuss the treatment of children by the legal system. The symposium, titled "Children in the Courts: A Developed or Developing System?", fostered an in-depth examination of challenges and opportunities in the treatment of children by the courts.