NCJ Number
79745
Date Published
1981
Length
455 pages
Annotation
Intended for use in courses on juvenile delinquency, this text examines the social, psychological, and legal aspects of delinquency.
Abstract
Although the text assumes that the reader is familiar with basic criminology, it covers in detail the data and theories of criminology that bear particularly on juveniles. An incident rooted in inner-city gang conflict and one based on a haphazard encounter are used to introduce and clarify the meaning of delinquency. The extent of delinquency and common beliefs concerning it are examined. Delinquency's dependence on the emergence of a transitional stage -- adolescence -- between childhood and adulthood is delineated. The legal definition of delinquency is explored and the distribution of delinquency in different social areas and by sex is discussed. Several types of delinquency theory are explained, followed by a discussion of six general problem areas the theories should address: (1) personality characteristics that give rise to delinquent behavior, (2) socializing pressures that create these personality patterns, (3) immediate social situations shaping delinquent behavior, (4) the broad social processes that produce these social situations, (5) the effects of overall societal organization on these processes, and (6) the possibility of affecting these characteristics. Delinquency in the United States is next examined, with emphasis on its relation to local communities and the groups and institutions that form the social world of children and adolescents. Current programs are reviewed and evaluated in relation to both theory and practical results. The origins, development, and operations of the juvenile justice system are delineated. Issues related to the police, detention, institutions for children, diversion, and the juvenile's return to the community from an institution are examined. Graphs, tables, chapter reference notes, and name and subject indexes are provided.