Movie portrayals of juvenile delinquency: Part 1--Epidemiology and criminology.

Movies chronicling the phenomenology of juvenile delinquency have been produced since the 1930s. These films have become part of American culture and are at once a representation of and possible etiologic factor in causing delinquency. This paper reviews aspects of the epidemiology and criminology of delinquency and how they have been reflected in American films. Movies of historical and sociopsychological significance are examined in more detail, and the following questions are addressed: As the ethnicity of the United States changes, to what extent are American films dealing with juvenile delinquency reflecting this evolution? How are such films symbolizing the theme of "law and order," pervasive in U.S. approaches to crime for a quarter century? When these movies come close to mimicking certain aspects of the environment of the viewer, an interactive or "resonating" effect may occur such that the youth who view such films may be more likely to commit delinquent acts. A countervailing utility of these movies may be their prosocial potential in educating and rehabilitating youth.