NCJ Number
73796
Date Published
1979
Length
494 pages
Annotation
A general study describes theories of juvenile delinquency, particularly in Italy, and existing approaches to its treatment.
Abstract
A balanced view of the phenomenon of juvenile delinquency is sought to offset the tendency of the mass media to exaggerate the proportions of juvenile crime. Initially, the book discusses the relativity of deviance and the social reaction to deviance within the contexts of various societies. Italian trends in juvenile delinquency are then outlined on a statistical basis. The section on criminological theory traces developments in research on such causes of delinquency as individual predisposition, disturbances in personality development resulting from familial disruptions, self-punishment and negative identity, environment, and subcultural influences. The newest directions in the interpretation of deviance are interactionism, conflict theory, and certain clinical approaches. Factors of social change which have influenced Italian juvenile delinquency rates include economic pressures, migration from the poor South to the industrial North, urbanization and industrialization, changes in school and family structures, and marginalization of certain groups. Typical forms of the delinquency phenomenon are gang offenses, violence, reactions against the homeland, female involvement in crime, and connections between various types of drug use and crime. To provide new insight into the clinical approach to juvenile delinquency, types of personality problems and the nature of the juvenile identity crisis are delineated, and new research directions proposed. A description of the existing system for punishment and resocialization shows that the treatment system actually contributes to the marginalization of incarcerated juveniles. The final section of the book suggests that the emancipation of deviant juveniles can be accomplished by a shift of emphasis from individual treatment to community action and treatment in a social context such as the therapeutic community. Tables and a bibliography of about 350 entries are supplied.