Juvenile delinquency has been an issue within the justice system for quite some time now. During the past decades, there have been several speculations made as to why juvenile delinquency tends to occur and where it stems from in American cities, such as Chicago. In the book “Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas,” published by the University of Chicago Press in 1942, authors Clifford R Shaw and Henry McKay insist that ethics along with neighborhood and community organization are the main contributors to juvenile delinquency (Smith, 2016, p. 9). This paper will analyze and evaluate the arguments of Shaw and McKay pertaining to the rates of juvenile delinquency and why it …show more content…
Included with the theory of Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas was the Chicago Area Project which was put together by Shaw. Shaw wanted to see if an organized theory was a solution to crime. His main objective was to form unity in the community by having a number of activities completed by small groups of neighbors (Snodgrass, 1976, p. 15). The methodology was clearly outlined, however the results received were unexpected. There is some evidence which exists that shows the reduction of delinquency but the effectiveness of the project is unknown (Cullen, Agnew, & Wilcox, 2014, p. 107). It has been concluded that of all city population groups African Americans subjugate the most dangerous positions in regards to social and economic values (Cullen, Agnew, & Wilcox, 2014, p. …show more content…
Juvenile delinquency has been a current issue of interest. Rates of delinquency remain high due to a number of circumstances. In 2009, the United States law enforcement agency reported arresting 1.9 million people who were under the age of 18 (Ryan, Williams, & Courtney, 2013, p. 1). There is a number of media coverage done today in regards to juvenile offenders. With regards to the offence committed by the delinquent, there is always speculation as to what caused the offender to commit such acts. Delinquency will always be a subject of conversation as long as negative influences are around in the community. It is no surprise that as times and society changes, juvenile delinquents are held responsible for some of the most gruesome crimes like murder. The authors failed to mention the association