Theories of Delinquency

Donald J. Shoemaker is Professor of Sociology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Excellent overview of causes of delinquency

• 1. Explanations of Delinquency The Problem of Delinquency The Issue of Causality What Is a Theory? Verification of Theories The Plan of This Book 2. The Classical School: Issues of Choice and Reasoning Historical Overview Rational Choice Theory Summary 3. Biological and Biosocial Explanations Historical Overview Generic Assumptions Somatotypes and Delinquency Inheritance and Delinquency Emerging Trends in Biological Explanations of Delinquency Summary 4. Psychological Theories Historical Overview Generic Assumptions Intelligence and Delinquency The Psychiatric-Psychoanalytic Approach General Personality Characteristics Summary5. Social Disorganization and Anomie Historical Overview Generic Assumptions Social Disorganization Anomie and Delinquency: Discontinuities in Society Summary 6. Lower-Class-Based Theories of Delinquency Historical Overview and Generic Assumptions Cohen and the Middle-Class Measuring Rod Cloward and Ohlin's Theory of Differential OpportunityStructure Miller's Theory of Lower-Class Culture and Delinquency Summary 7. Interpersonal and Situational Explanations Historical Overview Generic Assumptions Differential Association Drift and Delinquency Summary 8. Control Theories Historical Overview Generic Assumptions Personal Controls Social Controls-The Social Bond A General Theory of Crime Summary 9.Labeling Theory Historical Overview Generic Assumptions Summary10. The Radical Theory of Delinquency Historical Overview Beyond "Radical" Theory 11. Female Delinquency Historical Overview Basic Biological and Psychological Approaches Gender Roles and Delinquency Women's Emancipation Evaluation Power-Control Theory Feminist Explanations of Female Delinquency Summary 12. Delinquency Theory: An Integrative Approach Integrated Theories: Some Considerations and aProposed Model Author Index Subject Index