The first section provides an historical perspective on delinquency, including details on the operation of juvenile justice and an overview of representative public opinion on what the juvenile justice system ought to be doing. Section II presents key court decisions that serve both to expand the legal rights of juveniles and to reaffirm a distinctly subordinate status for juveniles. The third section contains readings about the types of data that are used to discern delinquency patterns over time and space among categories of juveniles, as well as ways in which theories are tested and the effects of policies and programs are measured. Section IV provides an introduction to the debate over the role of biological characteristics in the explanation of crime and delinquency. Sections V through VII present readings that illustrate the major sociological theories of delinquency and include examples of research that affects them. Topics in these sections include social disorganization/social bond theories, strain-frustration theories, and cultural deviance theories; the influence of family, school, and peers; and the relationship of media and religion to delinquency. Section VIII is the first of three sections that address the consequences of organized responses to early signs of delinquency. Topics cover deterrence and labeling; imprisonment and alternatives; and diversion, restitution, and shock treatment. The concluding section discusses the future of the juvenile justice system. For individual chapters, see NCJ- 165982-95. Chapter references, notes, and tables