The article deals with the relevance and social significance of the problem of identifying the determinants of delinquent behavior and factors of criminalization of minors. A statistical analysis of juvenile delinquency is provided. The purpose of the study is to analyze domestic and foreign studies of the determinants of delinquent behavior of minors. The article presents the results of theoretical analysis of foreign and domestic studies that reveal two leading groups of causes of juvenile delinquency: individual typological (a combination of personal characteristics, temperament properties, character accentuation, deformation of the value-semantic sphere of the individual, weakness of intellectual development, low academic performance, pedagogical neglect, inadequate self-esteem, a reduced level of self-control, unformed volitional qualities, socio-psychological maladaptation, inability to organize free time, etc.) and socio-psychological (family problems, violations of parent-child relationships, the breakdown of the family structure, early deprivation in the family, lack of parental involvement in the child's education, disparity of parenting styles of parents, the negative example of the impact of the reference group, dependence on deviant peers, the influence of criminal subculture, lack of social control, the availability and prevalence of negative information, social exclusion, stigma, stereotypes, etc., as well as situational circumstances – victim behavior of the victim, detection of unattended valuables, etc.). contradictions, insufficiently studied aspects, promising research directions for the causes and mechanisms of formation, as well as prevention of delinquent behavior of minors are Identified.