NCJ Number
134938
Date Published
1992
Length
50 pages
Annotation
Theories developed by sociologists to explain the distribution of juvenile delinquency and research conducted to test such theories are outlined.
Abstract
The various theoretical approaches are distinct from psychological or biological perspectives when treating juvenile delinquency as a category, as a distinctive subcultural orientation, or as a characteristic of neighborhoods and communities. Moreover, years of research have shown juvenile delinquency is an eminently sociological subject in that it is generally a social activity. The fact that most juvenile delinquency occurs among young people interacting with other young people has been established in numerous studies and is true for both boys and girls in a variety of settings. The juvenile delinquency theories assume that juvenile delinquency is acquired or learned behavior and that the probability such behavior will be acquired varies depending on cultural patterns, social institutions and groups, and the structure of legal and illegal opportunities. Various sociological theories are characterized by a variety of ideas about the exact nature and relative importance of environmental circumstances. Three theories that differ sufficiently to be considered unique schools of thought are social disorganization-social control theory, structural strain- status frustration theory, and normative conflict-differential association theory. Other theories have been proposed that reformulate or combine ideas from these three theories. The authors suggest further progress in the explanation of juvenile delinquency is likely to require that more attention be paid to the relevance of certain variables at different times in history, different groups and settings, different types of offenses, and group as opposed to individual delinquent activities. 112 references and 1 figure