NCJ Number
75937
Date Published
1981
Length
394 pages
Annotation
The third edition of this text examines major facets of youthful lawbreaking -- statistics, legal processes, causation theories, and treatment programs -- and includes expanded coverage of female delinquency and new correctional approaches.
Abstract
An overview of the delinquency problem provides some historical background and identifies erroneous notions and about delinquency held by the general public. The facts regarding the number, location, and social characteristics of recognized and hidden juvenile offenders are presented. Operators used by the police and courts to process juveniles are explored, with attention to due process issues and racial, social, or sexist bias. Following a discussion of basic issues in causal theories of social behavior, the biological, psychological, and social arguments regarding the causes of delinquency are reviewed. Lawbreaking among working class youths, gangs, and middle-class juveniles is examined in detail. Delinquent behavior among lower class youths is attributed to social or economic deprivation, while middle class deviance stems from lack of commitment to school, family, and adult roles. Recent theoretical and research developments on female criminality and delinquency are described, as are studies on pathologically aggressive juvenile offenders. International patterns of delinquency are summarized, with particular emphasis on delinquency in England and European countries. The text's final chapters focus on corrections, beginning with court processes and the training school. Innovative alternatives to institutionalization for juvenile delinquents are detailed, including diversion, youth service bureaus, community-based residential facilities, and school programs. Broad conclusions about the extent, causes, and treatment of delinquency are listed. Footnotes, tabular data, and an index are provided.