Delinquent Problem-Solving: An Interpretive Framework for Criminological Theory and Research

Abstract

A sizable body of evidence suggests that much delinquency can be interpreted as a form of problem-solving behavior in response to the pressures of adolescence. Moreover, certain data indicate that delinquent responses are often experienced by the offender as a reasonably effective means of short-term coping. Thus, in contrast to pathological accounts, it may be legitimate to interpret much delinquency as a form of self-regulation. This article organizes the extant delinquency literature within a problem-solving framework, shows how a problem-solving perspective can shed additional light on the nature of adolescence-limited delinquency, and offers a number of novel research hypotheses to guide future research.