Inventing and Re-Inventing the Juvenile Delinquent in British History

Abstract

This article explores the development of historical writing on British youth delinquency over the last two decades, with some reference to broader European and North American influences. The article outlines the early analyses of historical juvenile crime, particularly in relation to the influence of ‘history from below’ approaches, and the history of childhood. It then moves on to consider the debates around the ‘invention’ of the juvenile offender, thus exploring the early nineteenth century as a significant period for the establishment of the early juvenile justice system. A key focus will be on the main themes of recent research into juvenile crime, in particular relating to gender, social policy, and the emergence of juvenile-specific penal institutions. Moreover, the article also considers delinquency as a broader paradigm in relation to attitudes to adolescence and youth people, in particular revisiting the themes explored by Geoffrey Pearson in his significant 1983 book, Hooligans: A History of Respectable Fears. The conclusion will briefly consider 'new directions' and opportunities for research in this area.