AFTER BRIEFLY NOTING THE ALARMING INCREASES IN THE AMERICAN CRIME RATE AND THE PROBLEMS OF STUDYING CRIME SCIENTIFICALLY, THE AUTHOR EXAMINES THE MANY THEORIES OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY CAUSATION. BOTH BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL THEORIES ARE EXAMINED, AND THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE THEORIES ARE NOTED. THE INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE ON CRIME AND DELINQUENCY IS ALSO REVIEWED. THE AUTHOR THEN EXAMINES TYPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO CRIME, INCLUDING TAXONOMIC, SOCIOLOGICAL, AND PSYCHIATRIC TYPOLIGIES. HISTORICAL PATTERNS IN THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS ARE EXAMINED, AND MODERN METHODS OF DEALING WITH CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ARE DISCUSSED. THESE METHODS INCLUDE IMPRISONMENT, DIVERSION, COMMUNITY BASED CORRECTIONS, AND PAROLE. TREATMENT APPROACHES USED FOR OFFENDER REHABILITATION ARE ALSO EXAMINED. FINALLY, THE INCREASING CONCERN WITH PRIMARY PREVENTION OF CRIME IS DESCRIBED....DMC