TOWARD AN INTERACTIONAL THEORY OF DELINQUENCY

Contemporary theories of delinquency are seen as limited in three respects: they tend to rely on unidirectional causal structures that represent delinquency in a static rather than dynamic fashion, they do not examine developmental progressions, and they do not adequately link processual concepts to the person's position in the social structure. The present article develops an interactional theory of delinquency that addresses each of these issues. It views delinquency as resulting from the freedom afforded by the weakening of the person's bonds to conventional society and from an interactional setting in which delinquent behavior is learned and reinforced. Moreover, the control, learning, and delinquency variables are seen as reciprocalIy interrelated, mutually affecting one another over the person's life. Thus, delinquency is viewed as part of a larger causal network, affected by social factors but also affecting the development of those social factors over time.

[1]  W. Stein Andean Indian Village1 , 1958 .

[2]  Michael J. Hindelang,et al.  Moral Evaluations of Illegal Behaviors , 1974 .

[3]  E. D. Poole,et al.  Parental Support, Delinquent Friends, and Delinquency: A Test of Interaction Effects , 1979 .

[4]  Delbert S. Elliott,et al.  An Integrated Theoretical Perspective on Delinquent Behavior , 1979 .

[5]  R. Wahler The insular mother: her problems in parent-child treatment. , 1980, Journal of applied behavior analysis.

[6]  Marvin D. Krohn,et al.  Social Control and Delinquent Behavior: An Examination of the Elements of the Social Bond , 1980 .

[7]  J. Braithwaite The Myth of Social Class and Criminality Reconsidered , 1981 .

[8]  R. Matsueda Testing control theory and differential association: A causal modeling approach. , 1982 .

[9]  Ted Chiricos,et al.  Perceived Risk and Deterrence: Methodological Artifacts in Perceptual Deterrence Research , 1982 .

[10]  Ted Chiricos,et al.  Perceived risk and social control: Do sanctions really deter? , 1983 .

[11]  D. Kandel,et al.  Patterns of drug use from adolescence to young adulthood: I. Periods of risk for initiation, continued use, and discontinuation. , 1984, American journal of public health.

[12]  T. P. Thornberry,et al.  Unemployment and criminal involvement: an investigation of reciprocal causal structures. , 1984, American sociological review.

[13]  Perception of child, child-rearing values, and emotional distress as mediating links between environmental stressors and observed maternal behavior. , 1984 .

[14]  H. White,et al.  AGE DIFFERENCES IN DELINQUENCY: A TEST OF THEORY* , 1985 .

[15]  A. Liska,et al.  Ties to Conventional Institutions and Delinquency: Estimating Reciprocal Effects. , 1985 .

[16]  R. Agnew SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY AND DELINQUENCY: A LONGITUDINAL TEST , 1985 .

[17]  T. P. Thornberry,et al.  THE EFFECT OF DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL ON SUBSEQUENT CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR , 1985 .

[18]  T. Dishion,et al.  CONTRIBUTIONS OF FAMILIES AND PEERS TO DELINQUENCY , 1985 .

[19]  S. R. Burkett,et al.  RELIGIOSITY, PEER ASSOCIATIONS, AND ADOLESCENT MARIJUANA USE: A PANEL STUDY OF UNDERLYING CAUSAL STRUCTURES* , 1987 .