NCJ Number
67084
Date Published
1979
Length
446 pages
Annotation
THIS COMPREHENSIVE TEXT EXPLORES YOUTHFUL DEVIANCE AND UNLAWFUL BEHAVIOR IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE METHODS USED TO INHIBIT, DETECT, PUNISH, DETER, OR REDUCE SUCH ACTIVITY.
Abstract
SIXTEEN CHAPTERS ADDRESS SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, INCLUDING THE SCOPE OF JUVENILE CRIME, REHABILITATIVE AND TREATMENT EFFORTS, AND FUTURE APPROACHES IN DELINQUENCY PREVENTION AND CONTROL. CURRENT TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NATURE AND AMOUNT OF DELINQUENCY ARE REPORTED, INCLUDING THE RISE OF MIDDLE-CLASS AND RURAL DELINQUENCY, THE REEMERGENCE OF GANGS, THE PARTICIPATION OF GIRLS, AND THE SEEMINGLY PURPOSELESS VICTIMIZATION OF THE URBAN ELDERLY. CAUSATIVE THEORIES ARE EXAMINED, AND A VARIETY OF PREVIOUSLY NEGLECTED SOCIAL FACTORS ARE ADDRESSED, SUCH AS ADULT ROLES IN GENERATING JUVENILE MISCONDUCT, CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT, AND THE QUESTIONABLE JUSTICE OF IMPOSING LEGAL PENALTIES ON JUVENILE STATUS OFFENDERS. CHAPTERS FOCUSING ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF DELINQUENTS WITH JUVENILE AUTHORITIES CONSIDER THE PROCESSES OF DIVERSION, ARREST, COURT REFERRAL, DISPOSITION, PROBATION, INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AFTERCARE, AND COMMUNITY TREATMENT. IN ADDITION, THE CASE HISTORY OF JUVENILE OFFENDER IS FOLLOWED FROM APPREHENSION TO DISPOSITION. DIVERSION PROGRAMS, INNOTATIVE TREATMENT TECHNIQUES, AND EVALUATIVE RESEARCH EFFORTS ARE DESCRIBED, BASED ON INTERVIEWS WITH A VARIETY OF INVOLVED PROFESSIONALS. FUTURE PREDICTIONS INCLUDE BROADER DELINQUENCY PREVENTION PROGRAMS, GREATER USE OF COMMUNITY-BASED TREATEMENT, USE OF A STANDARDIZED NATIONWIDE JUVENILE CODE, AND CONTINUED JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM REFORM. ILLUSTRATIONS, AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND NAME AND SUBJECT INDEXES ARE PROVIDED. (MRK)