This basic overview of juvenile delinquency in the United States emphasizes the connection between delinquency and other problems faced by "at risk" children in America.

This is a challenging book that makes no attempts to oversimplify and trivialize the highly complex subject of juvenile delinquency. Its approach is both conceptual and historical. It includes information not only about delinquents but also about other types of problem children. By doing so, the broader social environment of delinquency is better understood, and delinquency can be put into a more general conceptual context. Fundamental concepts, interpretive perspectives and methodologies that are used to describe and analyze juvenile delinquency and related children's problems are presented.