ABSTRACT
In this chapter we will look at the development of an individual and how this may impact on delinquent and criminal behaviours. It is clear that children in poor areas are more likely to be arrested and successfully prosecuted. In contrast a wide variety of antisocial behaviours may be shown by relatively privileged groups without prosecutions arising. It is possible, for example, for university students to cause serious criminal damage or commit assaults, and for this to be ascribed to ‘high spirits’ - an unlikely ascription for a teenager living in an economically deprived inner city area. We use the term ‘delinquent’ more frequently than the term ‘criminal’. By delinquent we mean behaviours which are seen as socially unacceptable whether or not they result in criminal prosecutions or convictions (i.e. assaults, thefts, vandalism).
