NCJ Number
89124
Date Published
1982
Length
554 pages
Annotation
Major sections of this book deal with the nature of and factors influencing juvenile delinquency, significant problem areas in juvenile delinquency, the causal context of crime and delinquency, and the treatment and control of delinquency.
Abstract
The opening section, which provides an overview of the juvenile delinquent in society, considers the nature and extent of juvenile delinquency, the juvenile court, attributes of the juvenile delinquent, how family interactions contribute to delinquency, delinquency in the schools, juvenile gang patterns, and the relation of social class and delinquency. In the section on significant problem areas in juvenile delinquency, one chapter distinguishes the socialized delinquent from the sociopathic delinquent and describes the sociopathic delinquent and ways of treating him/her. Another chapter in this section focuses on the relationship between the violence of adults and childrens' violent behavior. Vandalism, as a form of violent behavior, is considered, along with the effect of violence in the media, particularly television, on children's behavior. The concluding chapter in this section deals with drug abuse, both as a way of acquiring delinquent status and as a factor in other forms of delinquent behavior. The symbiotic relationship between adult narcotic use and juvenile drug abuse is also explored. The section on the causal context of crime and delinquency considers theoretical formulations under two broad categories: those theories that attempt to explain criminal or delinquent behavior as rooted in characteristics of the offender or the subculture as rooted in characteristics of the offender or the subculture of the offender and those theories that explain deviance as a response to some societal attribute or policies. The section dealing with the treatment and control of delinquency has chapters on institutions for delinquents; community treatment and prevention programs; probation and parole; treatment strategies; and recommendations for prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency. Chapter footnotes are provided along with name and subject indexes.