One of the first explanations for juvenile delinquency                                                                                          was by Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay in the 1920s,                                                                      called social ecology.

Social Ecology = A criminological approach that                                                                focuses on the misbehavior of lower-class youth and                                                                    sees delinquency primarily as the result of social                                                                 disorganization.

Social Ecology was then replaced in the 1960s by                                                                         opportunity theory.

Opportunity Theory = A perspective that sees                                                                                 delinquency as the result of limited legitimate opportunities for success available to most lower-class youth.

Programs such as New York City’s Mobilization for Youth provided education, skills training, and job-placement services to young men and women.