This title was first published in 2002: Becoming Delinquent: British and European Youth, 1650-1950 provides a critical synthesis of the growing body of work on the history of British and European juvenile delinquency. It is unique in that it analyzes definitions of and responses to, disorderly youth across time (from the mid-seventeenth to the mid-twentieth centuries) and across space (covering developments across Western Europe). This comparative approach allows it to show how certain themes dominated European discourses of delinquency across this period, not least panics about urban culture, poor parenting, dangerous pleasures, family breakdown, national fitness and future social stability. It also shows how these various threats were countered by recurring strategies, most notably by repeated attempts to deter delinquency, to divide responsibility between the state, civil society and the family, and to find a "proper" balance between moral reform and physical punishment, between care and control.

This book addresses the social experiences of juvenile offenders in the correctional machinery and the career effects these experiences have on offenders. It follows offenders from apprehension through detention, court appearance, probation and institutionalization, showing how the organizations operate, the role definitions of the people who man them, and the views of the correctional organizations held by members of the public. It is a valuable supplement to courses in deviance, criminology, social problems and organizational analysis. The book begins with the delinquent population and endeavours to identify the major characteristics of juvenile lawbreaking. It separates youths who most often remain as "hidden" delinquents from those who are observed and apprehended. The text then moves through the major parts of the correctional machinery in much the same way as offenders are processed through it. Information on each topic is marshalled in accordance with five dimensions; the nature of the organization; the perspectives of the consumer (the public); the perspective of the employees; the perspectives of the offenders; and the impact of the agency upon offenders. Thus, a major focus of the book is an organizational analysis, a basic feature of the current sociological perspective. This work, on first publication in 1970, was one of the first to tackle the growing skepticism as to the beneficial aspects correctional institutions may have on the young offenders, and the analysis of those benefits. The readings attempt to show something of the impact of correctional experiences on juvenile delinquents, and suggest that the overall effect is to drive deviants further into deviant activities rather than attaining the desired goal of rehabilitation.

Even though youth crime rates have fallen since the mid-1990s, public fear and political rhetoric over the issue have heightened. The Columbine shootings and other sensational incidents add to the furor. Often overlooked are the underlying problems of child poverty, social disadvantage, and the pitfalls inherent to adolescent decisionmaking that contribute to youth crime. From a policy standpoint, adolescent offenders are caught in the crossfire between nurturance of youth and punishment of criminals, between rehabilitation and "get tough" pronouncements. In the midst of this emotional debate, the National Research Council's Panel on Juvenile Crime steps forward with an authoritative review of the best available data and analysis. Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice presents recommendations for addressing the many aspects of America's youth crime problem. This timely release discusses patterns and trends in crimes by children and adolescentsâ€"trends revealed by arrest data, victim reports, and other sources; youth crime within general crime; and race and sex disparities. The book explores desistanceâ€"the probability that delinquency or criminal activities decrease with ageâ€"and evaluates different approaches to predicting future crime rates. Why do young people turn to delinquency? Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice presents what we know and what we urgently need to find out about contributing factors, ranging from prenatal care, differences in temperament, and family influences to the role of peer relationships, the impact of the school policies toward delinquency, and the broader influences of the neighborhood and community. Equally important, this book examines a range of solutions: Prevention and intervention efforts directed to individuals, peer groups, and families, as well as day care-, school- and community-based initiatives. Intervention within the juvenile justice system. Role of the police. Processing and detention of youth offenders. Transferring youths to the adult judicial system. Residential placement of juveniles. The book includes background on the American juvenile court system, useful comparisons with the juvenile justice systems of other nations, and other important information for assessing this problem.

What makes a juvenile delinquent develop into an adult criminal? What defines-cognitively, developmentally, legally-the transition from juvenile to adult and what determines whether patterns of criminal behavior persist? In most US states and Western nations, legal adulthood begins at age 18. This volume focuses on the period surrounding that abrupt transition (roughly ages 15-29) and addresses what happens to offending careers during it. Edited by two leading authorities in the fields of psychology and criminology, Transitions from Juvenile Delinquency to Adult Crime examines why the period of transition is important and how it can be better understood and addressed both inside and outside of the justice system. Bringing together over thirty leading scholars from multiple disciplines in both North America and Europe, this volume asks critical questions about criminal careers and causation, and whether current legal definitions of adulthood accurately reflect actual maturation and development. The volume also addresses the current efficacy of the justice system in addressing juvenile crime and recidivism, why and how juveniles ought to be treated differently from adults, if special legal provisions should be established for young adults, and the effectiveness of crime prevention programs implemented during early childhood and adolescence. With serious scholarly analysis and practical policy proposals, Transitions from Juvenile Delinquency to Adult Crime addresses what can be done to ensure that todays juvenile delinquents do not become tomorrows adult criminals.

Describes how positive parental involvement deters delinquent behavior while its absence -- or worse, its negative counterpart -- fosters misconduct. Researchers conclude that children raised in supportive, affectionate, and accepting homes are less likely to become deviant.

Despite a century of effort, criminologists do not yet fully understand the relationship between disadvantage and crime. The balance of evidence suggests that economic and social stress increase the risk of involvement in crime by increasing the motivation to offend. But there are a number of empirical anomalies that cannot easily be reconciled with this interpretation of the evidence. Weatherburn and Lind argue that the transmission mechanism linking economic and social stress to crime is not offender motivation but disruption to the parenting process. They put forward an epidemic model of the genesis of delinquent-prone communities and show how this model resolves the empirical anomalies facing conventional interpretations of the disadvantage/crime relationship. This book offers compelling evidence which will stimulate debate in this area of criminology and will also interest academics, policy makers and practitioners in the field.

The Panel on Juvenile Crime: Prevention, Treatment, and Control convened a workshop on October 2, 1998, to explore issues related to educational performance, school climate, school practices, learning, student motivation and commitment to school, and their relationship to delinquency. The workshop was designed to bring together researchers and practitioners with a broad range of perspectives on the relationship between such specific issues as school safety and academic achievement and the development of delinquent behavior. Education and Delinquency reviews recent research findings, identifies gaps in knowledge and promising areas of future research, and discusses the need for program evaluation and the integration of empirical research findings into program design.

The issue if criminal behavior among our youth is deeply troubling to Americans. There appears to be a profound depression among growing numbers of youth that life (either theirs or someone elseÆs) has any value. A distinguished group of scholars addresses these issues and evaluates solutions from the perspectives and research offered by each of their disciplines. Delinquent Violent Youth opens with a literary and historical overview of crime amongst rural and urban youth, followed by a chapter that explores the theoretical and social policy thinking that grew from these traditions and shaped societyÆs responses to youth in trouble. Next, the book reviews the vast literature concerning how families, peers, schools, and the community influence delinquent behavior. Subsequent chapters explore the role substances play in delinquent behavior; the influence television has on violent behavior in childhood and adolescence; the nature and treatment of violent behavior in adolescents and the implications for treatment; a developmental perspective of youth gangs; effective community-based approaches for treating juvenile offenders; effective interventions for incarcerated youth; and, the promotion of juvenile rightency. For graduate students, program directors, and clinicians who want to increase their knowledge of violent delinquent behavior, Delinquent Violent Youth offers a solid overview and guidance in the selection of approaches that work for intervening with violent youth.