Drug Use and Delinquency

Abstract

Originally published in Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 1987, Vol 32(1), 71–72. Reviews the book, Explaining Delinquency and Drug Use by Delbert S. Elliott, David Huizinga, and Suzanne S. Ageton (1985). Explaining Delinquency and Drug Use contains the best in contemporary sociological research on the causes of delinquent conduct. The authors present a clear and concise critique of prominent social explanations of delinquency and provide a sophisticated test of their theoretical perspective with panel data on a national sample of youths. The book is not without flaws. The relation between involvement in delinquency and bonding to delinquent peers is less than clear. Involvement with delinquent peers is both a cause and an effect of delinquency. Also, the book's title is misleading, and readers who expect a separate and detailed explanation of drug use might be disappointed. Despite the few quibbles, anyone looking for a well-articulated theory of delinquency will not be disappointed in this book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)