Applying the Skill-Deficit Concept of Deviance to Juvenile Delinquents

Many theories have been advanced to account for juvenile delinquency. Most theories provide convincing partial explanations for some phenomena, but not others. Furthermore, most theories of delinquency offer only vague guidelines for treatment. The social learning school of psychology has developed a skill-deficit conception of deviance which has implications for treatment. In order to determine the applicability of this approach, a sample of 411 adjudicated male delinquents was obtained. They were assessed along a number of dimensions, and were found to be deficient as a group in all the skill areas measured. Implications for delinquency theory are discussed, as are treatment recommendations.