Theories of Delinquency: An Examination of Explanations of Delinquent Behavior

Now updated and expanded, this concise survey presents an integrated and comparative evaluation of both individualistic and sociological theories and illuminates the connections, basic assumptions, and concepts associated with major theories of delinquency. In addition to updated discussions of biological and biosocial, psychological, differential association, social disorganization, lower-class-based, anomie, control, radical, and labeling theories, the second edition offers an evaluation of past and present attempts to explain middle-class delinquency and a new discussion of female delinquency that includes power-control theory. Also new is an expanded discussion of theoretical integration that incorporates a full spectrum of delinquency theory.