After reading this chapter, students should be able to:

1. Describe the extent of delinquency using arrest data and self-report data.

2. Identify the characteristics of those most likely to be victims of crime.

3. Describe trends in delinquency using arrest data, self-report data, and victimization data.

4. Explain why there are no simple answers to questions of how much delinquency there is or how much it is changing over time.

5. Offer explanations for the dramatic decline in serious crime since the mid 1990s.

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