Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law

by Larry J. Siegel

Unrivaled in its current coverage, Siegel's best-selling JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: THEORY, PRACTICE, AND LAW, 14E presents the historical development of the concept of childhood and delinquency as well as the latest research on when, where and why juvenile crime occurs. With a highly praised balanced approach and engaging writing style, this edition uses thought-provoking discussions of the latest trends to capture your interest as you examine the latest data on issues such as mental disorders and social and environmental causes of delinquency. Each chapter presents numerous complex and detailed scenarios, many based on real life cases, followed by critical-thinking questions. You examine current issues, such as how today's gangs recruit members in cyberspace, how the COVID pandemic has influenced teen drug use, trends in school shootings and crime and how delinquency is addressed around the world. MindTap digital resources are also available to apply what you've learned.

Genres: Textbooks, Nonfiction, School, Sociology

433 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1988

About the author

Larry J. Siegel was born in the Bronx in 1947. While living on Jerome Avenue and attending City College of New York (CCNY) in the 1960s, he was swept up in the social and political currents of the time. He became intrigued with the influence contemporary culture had on individual behavior: Did people shape society or did society shape people? He applied his interest in social forces and human behavior to the study of crime and justice. After graduating from CCNY, he attended the newly opened program in criminal justice at the State University of New York at Albany, earning both his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees there. After completing his graduate work, Dr. Siegel began his teaching career at Northeastern University, where he was a faculty member for nine years. After leaving Northeastern, he held teaching positions at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. He then taught in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell for more than 26 years. Now a Professor Emeritus, he continues to teach online courses. Dr. Siegel has written extensively in the area of crime and justice, including books on juvenile law, delinquency, criminology, criminal justice, and criminal procedure. He is a court certified expert on police conduct and has testified in numerous legal cases.

Reviews

[Dr. Phoenix · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though this textbook is definitely dated, (there may be updated versions) My 2007 copy has been thumbed, annotated and used extensively. the book provides all the basic one would expect from such a textbook.

Some of the strong points are the use of illustrative case studies throughout the book. There is asl o a most useful and interesting historical and evolutionary timeline that spans the inside, front and back covers.
One of the things I disliked was the liberal apologist bent of the author that is an undercurrent throughout the entire book. There is definitely a lack of objectivity and the author uses selective research to hammer home his opinions over and over ad nauseum. The writer seems to have failed to realize that the types of crimes being committed by youthful offenders today and the maturity of those offenders are not the same as they were formerly. The advent of rapid technology and globalization have led to youth developing an maturing at a far greater rate than previously. This is particularly true when it comes to the arguments concerning waiver decisions that the author adamantly opposes to the point of cognitive indoctrination.

While the book is informative, it must be read bearing in mind the strongly biased and apologist politics of the author.

Recommended with strong reservations

[David Hays · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average textbook, required for class. Good info, well sourced, suitable for learning in the early 2000s

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my text book for my juvenile delinquency class, but i found it to be very useful in many of my law and criminal justice classes. The authors do a great job of covering all aspects of juvenile justice and the law.

[Ken Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Required college read...

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

BU MCJ 631 Youth Crime textbook