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 Delinquency and Juvenile Justice in American Society
Randall G. Shelden
This engaging textbook encourages students to think critically about the causes of delinquency and possible solutions—and to make certain that arguments are grounded in facts not myth. The author provides a solid link between the history of juvenile delinquency and contemporary juvenile issues. Unique to this book is a chapter on social inequality, an essential topic for understanding delinquency and crime. The special problems of girls growing up in a patriarchal society and their experiences in the juvenile justice system are discussed thoroughly in two chapters and throughout the text. Statistics and theory are balanced by descriptions of the everyday realities encountered by juveniles. Delinquency is considered in the context of family, community, school, peers, social class, and culture. Prevention and diversion are twin themes, with particular attention to whether current practices are effective.
 $43.95 list, 498 pages 10-digit ISBN: 1-57766-399-3 13-digit ISBN: 978-1-57766-399-7 © 2006 Instructor’s Manual available
“Excellent, timely, and current coverage addressing a wide variety of important juvenile justice issues.” — Barry M. McKee, Bristol Community College “A great addition to this textbook topic. It offers a strong sociological and progressive approach throughout the chapters, a useful blend of gang research into the analysis, and a concise discussion of sociological theories of delinquency. This has the potential to be the best textbook in the field given its discussion of scholarly ideas and justice policies in relation to each other. Also, very readable style for students.” — John Wozniak, Western Illinois University “Nice job on female delinquency—all too often given short shrift.” — Elizabeth D. Leonard, Vanguard University
“Randall Shelden’s Delinquency and Juvenile
Justice in American Society presents the fortunate reader with a lifetime of
the author’s study of crime and delinquency. The analysis is informed by a
progressive and historical understanding of the nature of American society.
Solutions to the problems of delinquency are based on a well-grounded sense of
social justice. This will be the text that I will recommend to anyone who wants
and needs to know about delinquency and juvenile justice.” — Richard Quinney Extended review essay by Diane Schaefer, University of Michigan-Flint: Randall Shelden’s Delinquency and Juvenile Justice in American Society provides an academic discourse that refreshingly is not presented from a distant ivory-tower persona pounding the reader with dry facts. Instead, the delivery is presented from a scholar who embraces the reader and guides him or her along a framework of ideas and concepts enlivened by the telling of the surrounding social context. The reader feels included in the scholarly quest to know the topic as if he or she accompanies a wise teller of the topic of juvenile delinquency. Shelden has a unique ability to include the reader as he shares his love and enthusiasm for the topic with his readers. The interdisciplinary range of citations and relevant excerpts demonstrates the author’s command of his subject and reflects his desire to deepen the student’s understanding of juvenile justice. Shelden’s range of insights and depth of understanding coalesces into a very readable yet profound textbook. That depth of understanding (one that embraces a vast amount of historical context) means that the shallow, mainstream version of juvenile delinquency finds itself held accountable to the clarity of social context. Shelden adroitly shows how issues of racism, ethnicity and classism were and remain powerful influences in how juvenile justice is dispensed. His humanitarian concerns for social justice are powerful and provide hope for the future. Shelden’s command of details makes clear that his critical analysis of the status quo is not ideological but based on solid social facts. His use of statistics to undergird his argument is the best I have seen and does not alienate the undergraduate reader. Fortunately for the reader, Shelden never tries to indoctrinate but merely raises honest issues of justice and examples of injustice in a straightforward manner. This type of delivery means that students who become practitioners have a better chance of learning what is and has been. As such, these students become better positioned to circumvent history repeating itself.
Table of Contents
Introduction Part I. THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF DELINQUENCY 1. Delinquency and Juvenile Justice in Historical Perspective The Invention of Childhood / Punishment of Children in the Colonies / Parens Patriae / Defining a Juvenile Delinquent / The House of Refuge Movement / Mid-Nineteenth Century Reforms / Late-Nineteenth Century Reforms / The Child Saving Movement and the Juvenile Court / Delinquency, Public Schools, and Industry / Twentieth-Century Developments in Juvenile Justice / Summary 2. The Extent of Delinquency Measuring Delinquency / How Much Delinquency Is There? / Juveniles as Victims / Delinquent Careers / Summary 3. The Nature of Delinquency Varieties of Delinquent Behavior / Property Crimes / Violent Crimes / Public Order Offenses / Summary 4. Youth Gangs A Brief History / What Is a Gang? / How Many Gangs and Gang Members Are There? / Gangs and Crime / Gang and Gang Member Typologies / Gang Classifications / Summary 5. Female Delinquency The Extent of Female Delinquency / The Nature of Female Delinquency / Summary Part II. EXPLAINING DELINQUENCY 6. Individualistic Theories of Delinquency The Classical School / The Positivist School / Biological Theories / Psychological Theories / Summary 7. Sociological Theories of Delinquency Social Disorganization/Social Ecology Theory / Strain Theory / Cultural Deviance Theories / Control Theory / Social Learning Theory / The Labeling Perspective / Critical/Marxist Perspectives / Summary 8. Delinquency in Context: Inequality in U.S. Society The Capitalist Economic System / The Development of the Underclass / Poverty and Family Structure / Effects of Economic Changes on Delinquency / The Death of Childhood in the Inner Cities / Summary 9. Delinquency and the Family The Family in Contemporary Society / Family Breakdown as a Cause of Delinquency / The Social Context of the Family / Girl Offenders and Their Families / Gang Members and Their Families / Children with Parents in Prison / Summary 10. Schools and Delinquency Schooling in a Class Society / Schools as “Day Prisons” and “Zero Tolerance” Policies / How Safe Are Schools? / Reinforcing Class and Race Inequality: Follow the Money / Tracking / School Failure and Delinquency / Crime in the Schools / Gangs and Schools / Summary Part III. RESPONSES TO DELINQUENCY 11. Processing Offenders through the Juvenile Justice System: The Police and Juvenile Court Juvenile Laws / The Rights of Juveniles / Juvenile Court: The Structure / Juvenile Justice: The Process / Juvenile Court Processing / Keeping Offenders from Further Penetration / Probation / Giving Up on Delinquent Youth: Transfer to Adult Court / Summary 12. Prisons or “Correctional” Institutions: What’s in a Name? Commitment to an Institution / Short-Term Facilities / Long-Term Facilities / Institutional Populations / Racial Composition of Juvenile Institutions / Some Effects of Incarceration: The Inmate Social System and Victimization / The Social System of Institutions for Girls / The California Youth Authority: A Notorious Example / A Failed Treatment Program / High Recidivism Rates Plague Juvenile Prisons / Summary 13. The Double Standard of Juvenile Justice The Child-Saving Movement and the Juvenile Court / The Juvenile Court and the Double Standard of Juvenile Justice / Deinstitutionalization and Judicial Paternalism / Continuing Evidence of Gender Bias / Summary 14. Recent Trends: Getting Tough on Juveniles The Formal Punishment of Children / The Cycle of Juvenile Delinquency and Justice / Juveniles Incarcerated in Adult Penitentiaries / The Ultimate Penalty / Zero Tolerance / Why Have We Become So Punitive? / Getting Tough on Youth Gangs / Summary 15. Some Sensible Solutions Thinking Outside the Box / Reclaiming Youth at Risk: An Alternative Way of Framing the Problem / Radical Nonintervention / A Model Program: The Detention Diversion Advocacy Project / A New Paradigm: Restorative Justice / Intervention Typologies / Broad-Based National Strategies / Other Pressing Matters / What about Girls? / A Final Word / Summary
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