Referred to absence of delinquent youth? (5)
I believe the answer is:
noted
'referred' is the definition.
(to refer to something is to note or mention it)
'absence of delinquent youth?' is the wordplay.
'absence of' becomes 'no'.
'delinquent youth?' becomes 'ted' (member of the Teddy Boy subculture).
'no'+'ted'='NOTED'
'to' is the link.
(Other definitions for noted that I've seen before include "Scored" , "Celebrated or recorded" , "Wrote it down" , "Significant" , "remarked upon" .)