Terence P. Thornberry (1987), 'Toward an Interactional Theory of Delinquency', Criminology, 25, pp. 863-91

A variety of sociological theories have been developed to explain the onset and maintenance of delinquent behavior. Currently, three are of primary importance: social control theory (Hirschi, 1969), social learning theory (Akers, 1977), and integrated models that combine them into a broader body of explanatory principals (Elliott, Ageton, and Canter, 1979; Elliott, Huizinga, and Ageton, 1985).