ABSTRACT
An increasing concern of contemporary society is the prevention, treatment, and control of juvenile delinquency. This concern is found in the mass media, heard in political rhetoric, and demonstrated by increased federal funding for law enforcement agencies. At the same time, social scientists have been asked to provide explanations and solutions for the problems posed by juvenile delinquency. Their work has been concerned, among other things, with the identification of demographic, physical, and personality correlates of delinquency; examination of social structure as it affects the availability of legitimate goals; suggestion of genetic predeterminants of delinquent behavior; exploration of the crucial role of criminal associations; explanation of criminality as a result of intrapsychic conflict; and consideration of retarded cognitive development as an important variable in the prediction of delinquent activity. This chapter reviews the published literature, from 1960 through June 1973, investigating methods of behavior analysis applied to the modification of delinquent behavior.
