Juvenile Delinquency: Causes and Control

By Robert Agnew and Timothy Brezina

Working from a unique, question-centered structure, the third edition of Robert Agnew's popular Juvenile Delinquency offers a clear and concise overview of the theories and research on the causes and control of delinquency. In this engaging text, Agnew provides an overview of the leading theories of delinquency--strain theory, social learning theory, social- and self-control theory, labeling theory, and situational theories--and discusses the latest research on the causes of delinquency, from biological research to research on the social environment. Moreover, he presents an overview of agencies including the police, the juvenile court, and juvenile corrections, highlighting recent efforts to increase their effectiveness. In conclusion, he explores general strategies for controlling delinquency: deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation, and prevention.

Instead of attempting to provide a sweeping view of the entire subject, Agnew organizes the text around three major questions:

* What is the nature and extent of delinquency?
* What are the causes of delinquency?
* What strategies should we employ to control delinquency?

These thought-provoking questions draw students into the text, challenging them to use major theories to explain the basic facts about delinquency, to understand the research on its causes, and to develop and evaluate programs and policies for its control.

Revised and updated throughout, Juvenile Delinquency also includes rich pedagogical resources. Each chapter integrates activities that encourage students to apply what they have learned, including review questions, a list of key terms, discussion questions, excerpts of controversial cases, and lively exercises. In addition, the "Teaching Aids" sections provide numerous new exercises. A comprehensive Instructor's Manual is also available.

An essential resource for exploring juvenile delinquency in the twenty-first century, Juvenile Delinquency, Third Edition, challenges students to address important questions about this timely and fascinating topic.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195371135
• ISBN13: 9780195371130
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 576 Pages
• Weight: 2.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 0.9" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

Concise, useful text

With all the thousands of conflicting studies regarding juvenile crime, Agnew manages to distill the most important theoretical paradigms and present a clear, manageable treatment of this very broad subject. I teach a course in Juvenile Delinquency at a major university, and I love using this book. It isn't intimidating, students learn easily from it, and it serves as a springboard for their research. Thanks, Dr. Agnew!