NCJ Number
52732
Editor(s)
D H KELLY
Date Published
1978
Length
495 pages
Annotation
THIS ANTHOLOGY OF PAPERS BY SOCIOLOGISTS AND CRIMINOLOGISTS EXAMINES HOW JUVENILES WHO COMMIT WHAT ARE PERCEIVED TO BE DELINQUENT ACTS ARE LABELED AS DELINQUENT BY FORMAL AND INFORMAL AGENTS OF SOCIAL CONTROL.
Abstract
THIS CRIMINOLOGY TEXTBOOK ANALYZES DELINQUENCY AS IT OCCURS FROM THE PROCESS OF SOCIAL TYPING LABELING, THE NATURE OF THE DELINQUENT INVOLVING CONCEPTUAL, DEFINITIONAL, AND MEASUREMENT ISSUES AND CONCERNS, MOTIVATIONAL ASPECTS REGARDING THE ACTOR OR DELINQUENT, AND THE COMPOSITION OF THE SOCIAL AUDIENCE AND THE ROLE OF THIRD PARTIES OR WITNESSES. AN ORGANIZATION SUCH AS A SCHOOL AND ITS AGENTS CAN ACTUALLY CREATE THE DELINQUENT OR DEVIANT, AND CENTRAL TO THIS PROCESS IS THE WAY IN WHICH ORGANIZATIONS IDENTIFY AND CLASSIFY CLIENTS FOR PROCESSING ON THE BASIS OF EXISTING ORGANIZATION CRITERIA (E.G., THEIR DIAGNOSTIC STEREOTYPES). THE ARTICLES ON THE SCHOOL ILLUSTRATE HOW CERTAIN TEACHERS APPLY NONACADEMIC CRITERIA IN SELECTING OUT STUDENTS FOR PLACEMENT IN A DEVIANT CAREER LINE. PROCESSING OF DELINQUENTS IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND THEIR TREATMENT IN THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM ARE STUDIED FROM THE LABELING PERSPECTIVE. THE FINAL CHAPTER DEALS WITH DELINQUENCY PREVENTION, PARTICULARLY THROUGH REMOVAL OF PUBLIC LABELING (WHEN POSSIBLE) AND DIVERSION. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT CURRENT PROGRAMS OR STRATEGIES TO TREAT, DETER, OR PROCESS JUVENILE DELINQUENTS SHOULD BE REEVALUATED AND REVIEWED CONTINUALLY FOR EFFECTIVENESS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIAL TYPING PROCESS. NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)