crisi dell'infanzia e la delinquenza dei minorenni

Scipio Sighele, a foundational figure in Italian criminology and crowd psychology, turns his analytical gaze toward one of modern society's most troubling phenomena: the crisis of childhood itself. Written during Italy's turbulent period of rapid industrialization and social upheaval, this work examines why children are increasingly drawn toward criminal behavior, arguing that the breakdown of traditional social structures and the harsh conditions of urban life are fundamentally altering the nature of childhood. Sighele applies his rigorous psychological framework to understand how young people, stripped of proper guidance and exposed to the corrupting influences of the streets, become susceptible to delinquency. Rather than viewing youth crime as merely a matter of individual moral failure, he situates it within broader currents of social disorganization, offering a diagnosis that was radical for its time. The book remains a disturbing portrait of modernity's collateral damage, raising questions about childhood, responsibility, and social reform that resonate far beyond their original context.