Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Juvenile Delinquency: Why Do Youths Commit Crime?

Juvenile Delinquency: Why Do Youths Commit Crime? focuses on why juveniles commit crime. It includes discussions on what constitutes criminal behavior by juveniles, the general theories on delinquency, and discussions that tie the theories with real life situations. The book opens the students' eyes to the fascinating concepts involving juvenile delinquency, and is designed to provide a complete study of the behavior, beliefs, conditions, and reactions to deviance by young offenders. Throughout Cliff Roberson and Elena Azaola gives students a detailed discussion of and what constitutes juvenile delinquency to allow for better understanding of this phenomenon. In each of the chapters, the authors encourage the student to develop new insights on criminal behavior of juveniles. The book makes the subject come alive by the generous use of "down to earth" examples of the issues involved in the area. While each chapter builds on the previous chapters, the book is written in a manner to reduce the necessity of memorization by students. Each chapter begins with chapter objectives that highlights key points for the student and brief chapter outlines. Each chapter closes with a practicum, chapter summary, and discussion and review questions which enhance student learning. The book closes with a glossary where student may refer to they key terms and words throughout the text. About the Author Cliff Roberson is former managing editor in chief of the journal Police Practice & Research, an international journal that is distributed in over 50 countries. In addition, he is an Emeritus Professor at Washburn University and retired Professor of Criminology at California State University, Fresno. His previous academic experience includes Professor of Criminology and Director of Justice Center, California State University, Fresno; Professor of Criminal Justice and Dean of Arts and Sciences at the University of Houston, Victoria; Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Arkansas Tech University; and Director of Programs for the National College of District Attorneys, University of Houston. Cliff’s non-academic legal experience includes Chief, Trial and Legal Services Section, Office of State Counsel for Offenders, Texas Board of Criminal Justice; private legal practice; judge pro-tem in the California courts; trial and defense counsel and military judge as a marine judge advocate; and Director of the Military Law Branch, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. Cliff is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, Federal Courts in California and Texas, Supreme Court of Texas and the Supreme Court of California. Elena Azaola is a professor at the Center for Advanced Studies and Research in Social Anthropology located in Mexico City. She received a PhD in Anthropology and did post graduate study at Columbia University on deviant behavior. She is also a psychoanalyst. Dr. Azaola was an advisor with the National Commission of Human Rights and a Council Member at the Federal District Commission of Human Rights. She coordinated the European Commission project for street children in Mexico (1999-2003). She has published more than 150 journal articles and numerous books on human behavior, crime, and human rights. Her research on the commercial sexual exploitation of children was sponsored by the United Nations Children Fund. She co-coordinated a National Report on Violence sponsored by the World Health Organization. She was the board chair of the Institute for Security and Democracy, which created the first center for police accreditation in Mexico and won the MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Presently Dr. Azaola is working on a United Nations funded research on developing “Standards for Mexican Prisons.”