After reading this chapter, you should be able to

• Explain why social structural theories of delinquency are considered sociological positivist theories
• Distinguish between Durkheim’s and Merton’s versions of anomie theory
• Outline the roots of social disorganization theories and their fundamental assumptions
• Identify the primary ways social structural theories of delinquency address race, gender, and class
• Relate social structural theories of delinquency to possible policy interventions