NCJ Number
106371
Date Published
1987
Length
44 pages
Annotation
This chapter reviews studies into the social ecology of juvenile delinquency undertaken by Clifford R. Shaw and Henry D. McKay.
Abstract
The sociocultural context and political motives behind these seminal studies, begun in 1920, is discussed, and the methods used are delineated. Major findings of these studies are reviewed in detail, particularly those related to population density, socioeconomic segregation and disadvantage, and social disorganization as factors that create a criminogenic social organization and contribute to regional variations in juvenile delinquency rates. Subsequent replications of these studies and related examinations of the social and psychological processes underlying delinquency are reviewed. The findings by Shaw, McKay, and others have contributed to a greater understanding of delinquency by turning the study of delinquency away from genetic and pathological explanations to an examination of normal social processes. In addition, the research approach has generated vast amounts of replicable, rigorously collected, and detailed data. It has, however, focused too greatly on socioeconomic characteristics of urban areas and families. A broader focus is needed in future research. 92 references.