NCJ Number
129400
Date Published
1990
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Juvenile delinquency can be defined at one level by laws, beliefs, and institutions regarding children and their behavior and at another level in terms of the behavior of young people, families, peers, and others who are involved in behavioral settings out of which delinquent behavior emerges.
Abstract
Juvenile behavior is complex, and the identification of delinquent acts and delinquent youth involves interaction among people. Juvenile behavior involves many decisions by juveniles, victims, and police. A major problem with sources of data about juvenile delinquency is representativeness. Agencies reporting official statistics are public bodies, responsible to some executive or judicial branch of government. These agencies, therefore, are subject to pressures from certain constituencies. Nonetheless, the behavior of juvenile delinquents can be characterized as falling on a continuum of inclusiveness. One end of the continuum is represented by those who are incarcerated, while the other end is delinquent behavior. Various theories have been proposed to explain delinquency, but any theory must recognize that causes of most human behavior involve interaction among variables. All theories necessarily make assumptions, and these assumptions are based on knowledge about juvenile delinquency, crime, and control. Three levels of explanation for juvenile delinquency are offered (individual, macrosocial, and microsocial). 21 notes