A core textbook for courses in juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice bringing together theories of delinquency and a clear description of how young offenders are processed through a complex, dynamic legal system. Offering balanced coverage of fundamentals, theory, correlates forms of misconduct and the juvenile justice system, the book also provides chapters which focus on a delinquent's return to the community and reintegration. Each chapter follows a five-point plan: introduction; perspectives (historical, legal and theoretical underpinnings of topic discussed); issues (principle points of controversy); new horizons (possible actions for coping with the problems and their complexities); epilogue (summaries and concluding comments). The overall format helps the reader to build bridges from the past through the present to the future and from concept through theory to application.