Adolescent thieves: a study in socio culture dynamics

Theft is almost as old as civilisation: it is coeval with the institution of property Whence originates this aberration in an individual? What are the attractions of this kind of deviant behaviour ? What is the role of society and social institutions in the making of a thief? thief 241 7 5. Seb The progenitor of the Dada of today's underworld has been immortalized in Charles Dickens' Fagin. One's sympathy, however, lies with the intrepid youth lured into this criminal profession by social pressures of varying degrees. Delinquency becomes a way of life and deviance a norm.
This volume is the outcome of intensive research in the light of accepted theories and studies, of the forces that are operative on an individual and that propel him in the direction of deviance. It also elucidates the process of development of deviant norms and values; and finally scrutinises the factors that help in the setting-up of a delinquent subculture.
One of the significant findings of this study is that an individual exposed to deviance in the social setting, leans and drifts towards delinquency with the support of social institutions and the dimension of persistence is an end product of the delinquent's characteristics and counteracting social pressures

A thought provoking study covering all important psychological and sociological aspects of both the individual offender and his interaction with society and its mores. Dr. Shukla can speak with authority on this very contemporary subject by virtue of his first hand knowledge of delinquent groups in the course of his study. His observations thus have greater force and validity.
A significant contribution to the vast field of criminological studies, this is the first of its kind to attempt a systematic assessment of the problems involved.