"Delinquency and Drift" is a concept in criminology that explores how individuals may engage in delinquent behavior while feeling disconnected from societal norms. This theory suggests that some people drift into delinquency due to a lack of commitment to conventional values, often influenced by their social environment. The idea of drift implies that individuals do not fully embrace a delinquent lifestyle but instead oscillate between conformity and deviance. Factors such as peer pressure, family dynamics, and socioeconomic status can contribute to this drift, leading to temporary involvement in activities like theft or substance abuse without a permanent commitment to a criminal identity.