New directions for research in prevention and treatment of delinquency: a review and proposal

Abstract

The past century has witnessed a number of approaches to the prevention and treatment of delinquency. Some approaches have emphasized physiological, psychological, and other individual characteristics; others have focused on the structure of the family; and still others have considered the structure of social relations within the broader society. More recent approaches have attempted to conceptualize an integrated complex of factors which includes community characteristics. This article reviews the various approaches which have dominated the field over the last few decades and concludes with a methodological proposal which may facilitate the systematic consideration of these various factors.