Becoming Delinquent was one of the first books to tackle the growing skepticism as to the beneficial aspects correctional institutions may have on young offenders, and the analysis of those benefits. The contributors to this groundbreaking volume show the impact of correctional experiences on juvenile delinquents, and suggest that the overall effect is to drive deviants further into deviant activities rather than attaining the desired goal of rehabilitation.

One: Introduction; 1: The Function of Social Definitions in the Development of Delinquent Careers; Two: Delinquency: Hidden and Observed; 2: Extent of Unrecorded Juvenile Delinquency: Tentative Conclusions; 3: The Incidence of Hidden Delinquency; Three: Delinquents and the Police; 4: Discrimination in the Handling of Juvenile Offenders by Social Control Agencies; 5: Police Encounters with Juveniles; 6: The Police and the Delinquent in Two Cities; Four: The Juvenile Court in Operation; 7: The Juvenile Court-Quest and Realities; 8: Juvenile Court Judges in the United States: Working Styles and Characteristics; 5: Probation and the Offender; 9: The Prehearing Juvenile Report: Probation Officers' Conceptions; 10: Criteria for the Probation Officer's Recommendation to the Juvenile Court Judge; 11: A Study of Probation Effectiveness; Six: Training Schools and Delinquents; 12: The Fricot Ranch Study; 13: The Boy's Perception of Himself in a State Training School for Delinquents; Seven: Conflicting Perspectives on Correctional Decisions; 14: Juvenile Court Actions and Public Response; 15: Attitudes of Probation Officers Toward Due Process for Juvenile Offenders; 16: Policy Questions in Delinquency Control: Perspectives of Police and Probation Officers