ABSTRACT
The general discussion of subcultures at the Topeka Conference presupposed a familiarity with the main lines of development in social theory in relation to delinquency. The theory does appear to encompass subsequent social theories and indeed most of what psychiatrists or psychologists believe about crime. The rise of a more scientific sociology of crime began only some four decades ago, when the first textbook reflecting this orientation was published by Professor E. H. Sutherland. For the juveniles in heavily delinquent areas there was a way into the world of adult white-collar crime. The violent crimes perpetrated by these bands of brigands invariably consist in robbery, sexual assault and murder, terrorizing and driving out the local population, and destroying or taking over their land and property. A certain number of secret societies which were essentially political in origin came into being in Europe, particularly in Southern Italy.
