Juvenile Delinquency and Justice in the United States

Juvenile Delinquency and Justice in the United States recognizes both the distinction and overlap between the subjects of juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice. Its twelve chapters are divided into two parts. Part I contains six chapters where the problem of delinquency itself is defined, and Part II contains six chapters that describe formal social control of juvenile offending. This second edition includes updates on offense definitions and juvenile offending statistics and their sources.

Part I describes what delinquency is exactly, how much of it occurs (and its relative seriousness), why it happens, and why it doesn't happen (social control). Three chapters are dedicated to the many possible causes of delinquency that operate in complex ways. These chapters focus on theories and factors that receive significant research support, such as life course and developmental theories.

Part II describes what the juvenile justice system is doing, and possibly should do, to solve the problem of delinquency. Here, a main feature of the book is on formal justice system structure and processes (policing, courts, and corrections) to address the major role that human/social service workers and agencies play in juvenile justice processes. Social services also play a major role in treating serious offenders. Thus, much attention is given to treatment and rehabilitation issues. Further, broader issues of social justice and human rights are addressed. Unique to this edition is a chapter (Chapter 11) devoted solely to juvenile justice reform.