Wild Boys in the Dock

This volume explores the heated controversy surrounding the alleged influence of cheap popular fiction on juvenile delinquency in nineteenth-century Britain. Stories of highwaymen, thieves, pirates and murderers, published in penny bloods and penny dreadfuls, captivated young readers while provoking widespread condemnation from journalists, judges, politicians and religious leaders.

Drawing on extensive archival research, Robert Kirkpatrick examines more than 300 cases of juvenile crime in which sensational literature was blamed, directly or indirectly, for encouraging criminal behaviour. From the notorious exploits of Jack Sheppard and Dick Turpin to lesser-known incidents, the book investigates the evidence behind these accusations and the competing arguments of contemporary critics and defenders of popular fiction.

Challenging assumptions about the relationship between reading and criminality, this richly documented study offers fresh insights into Victorian moral panics, popular publishing, childhood, censorship and the social construction of juvenile crime.