NCJ Number
137084
Date Published
1992
Length
57 pages
Annotation
Juvenile delinquency is discussed in terms of its prevalence and incidence, the nature and origins of several types of delinquency, and methods of intervention.
Abstract
Official statistics indicate that approximately 4 percent of youths aged 10-17 appear in juvenile court each year for offenses other than traffic violations. Male delinquents outnumber female delinquents by a ratio of 3.5 to 1. Surveys of self-reported delinquency indicate that about 80 percent of adolescents commit one or more delinquent acts, although most offenses are minor and most perpetrators rarely commit offenses. Types of delinquency include socialized, characterological, neurotic, and psychotic and neuropsychological delinquency. The diversity of juvenile delinquency requires diversified treatment. Possible treatments include social action programs, outpatient individual and group counseling and psychotherapy, residential and day-care programs, and home-based family and behavioral methods. These treatment approaches often are most effective when combined in specific ways to meet the needs of different types of delinquents. 208 references