Juvenile Delinquency and Crime Theory in Blackboard Jungle By

The 1955 film Blackboard Jungle jarred audiences with its tale of unruly youths in a New York City high school, told over a rock and roll sound track. This article addresses whether the film’s portrayal of 1950s juvenile delinquency was based on reality, whether the film supported recognized theories of criminal behavior, and how the film itself became an alleged cause of crime. The examination suggests that the 1950s concern about juvenile delinquency was legitimate, that rational choice theory appeared to be the film’s preferred explanation for crime, and that the film was unfairly blamed as a cause of crime