As Cressey (1960) pointed out, the most precise study of delinquency and criminal antisocial behavior is drawn from the psychological and sociological literature. The President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice (1967) correctly noted that the complexities of human psychology are such that any attempt to find the cause of crime in human motivation alone is pointless. Sobel (1979) expressed a similar view relative to the inadequacies of traditional theories of personality development and the understanding of the delinquent offender. The sociological literature on delinquency is vast but lacks sufficient depth by itself to explain the etiology of particular delinquent patterns or to spell out the steps necessary to control or correct these patterns.

Statistics compiled on the prevalence of juvenile delinquency indicate that juvenile violence and crime have significantly increased throughout the past decade. A report provided by the American Psychological Association's Commission on Violence and Youth (1993) highlights the increasing problem of youth and violence while also providing a message of hope for change. However, not everyone shares the optimism of the American Psychological Association. In 1989, the Task Force on Juvenile Delinquency of the New Jersey State Supreme Court stated, “The conditions of modern society are such that delinquency has intensified in terms of the number involved and in the seriousness of the crimes charged” (Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey, 1989, p. 2). This increase in juvenile crime prompted many lawmakers to draft propositions that would place juvenile antisocial behavior on the same level as adult antisocial behavior. For example, on February 19, 1997, Senator John Ashcroft (Missouri) publicly stated, “Violent juvenile criminals should be handled as adult criminals, not as candidates for counseling and social work.” The economics of illicit drug traffic have undoubtedly contributed significantly to the changes in patterns of juvenile delinquency. Illegal and violent behavior, perpetrated both individually and in gangs, represent major problems, particularly in larger urban areas. The role of illicit drugs cannot be underestimated. Much of the violence relates to the sale and distribution of these drugs, and much of the violence perpetrated by juveniles against society occurs when these juveniles are under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs. We also know that the suicide rate among adolescents and young adults has continued to rise. There is every reason to believe that this may parallel an increasingly violent society and may, in part, be another manifestation of the violence that exists within adolescent groups. A frighteningly high percentage of crimes in general, and violent crimes in particular, are now being committed by juveniles, making juvenile delinquency one of the most critical problems threatening to disrupt the internal order of this country. . .

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