The Impact of Polyvictimization on Delinquency Among Latino Adolescents: A General Strain Theory Perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (17) ◽  
pp. 2647-2667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Cudmore ◽  
Carlos A. Cuevas ◽  
Chiara Sabina
Keyword(s):  
General Strain Theory ◽  
Delinquent Behavior ◽  
Latino Youth ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Latino Adolescents ◽  
General Strain ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Although criminological research has provided support for general strain theory (GST), there is still little known about the relationship between victimization and delinquency among Latino adolescents. This study seeks to fill the gap in the literature by examining the association between a broader measure of victimization (i.e., polyvictimization) and delinquent behavior using data from the Dating Violence Among Latino Adolescents (DAVILA) Study, a national sample of Latino youth. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine two issues: (a) whether polyvictimization is associated with self-reported delinquent behavior and (b) whether anger mediates the relationship between polyvictimization and delinquency. Our findings provided partial support for GST among Latino youth. Specifically, the effect of polyvictimization on delinquency was explained in part by its effect on anger. Contrary to the theory’s hypothesis, the effect of polyvictimization was not conditional on the effect of social support. Overall, findings suggested that GST is a promising framework for understanding the relationship between polyvictimization and delinquency among Latino youth.

scholarly journals Victimization, Crime Propensity, and Deviance: A Multinational Test of General Strain Theory

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 410-430
Author(s):  
Marco Teijón-Alcalá ◽  
Christopher Birkbeck
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
General Strain Theory ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Self Report ◽  
General Strain ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Recent Extension

General Strain Theory (GST) identifies victimization as one of the strains most strongly related to crime which, like other sources of strain, is moderated by individual and social factors. Recently, Agnew extended the theorization of coping strategies by proposing that the effects of strain on deviance are conditioned by individual and social factors in combination, rather than singly, which he labeled crime propensity. Tests of the propensity hypothesis have so far yielded mixed results, highlighting the value of additional studies. Whereas previous tests have focused on single countries, either in North America or Asia, we test the propensity hypothesis using data on adolescents in 25 countries collected through the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD3; n = 57,760). A series of ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions show that the relationship between victimization and delinquency/substance use is conditioned by the effects of individuals’ crime propensity, thereby supporting the recent extension to GST.

scholarly journals Are the Effects of Poverty and Victimization on Criminal Recidivism Mediated by Depression as Predicted by General Strain Theory? A Longitudinal Study of Provincially Sentenced Women

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer E. Newman
Keyword(s):  
General Strain Theory ◽  
Female Offenders ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Criminal Recidivism ◽  
General Strain ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Provincially Sentenced

The current study is a longitudinal analysis of psychosocial factors contributing to re-offending among 125 adult female offenders. Drawing on General Strain Theory (GST), the study examined the role of victimization and poverty on criminal recidivism and investigated whether this relationship was mediated by depression. Regression, survival, and mediational analyses were employed to examine the impact of these variables on criminal recidivism. Findings revealed that using illegal means to make ends meet, and having survived childhood sexual abuse, were particularly important predictors of recidivism for women in the study sample, although depression was not found to significantly mediate the relationship between strain and recidivism. Implications for future research on female recidivism and helping women to stay crime-free are discussed.

General Strain Theory, Peer Rejection, and Delinquency/Crime

2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 1272-1297 ◽  
Author(s):  
George E. Higgins ◽  
Nicole L. Piquero ◽  
Alex R. Piquero
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
General Strain Theory ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Peer Rejection ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Joint Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
General Strain ◽  
Using Data

The development of general strain theory (GST) has led to a renewed focus on the influence of negative life experiences on antisocial behavior. Although a number of studies have generated an impressive array of support for the theory, several avenues remain open for research. In this article, we examine how a specific noxious stimuli, peer rejection, relates to delinquency/crime, and the degree of shared relation among peer rejection and delinquency/crime. Using data from a national sample of 413 children and adolescents, analyses indicated two highly stable trajectories of peer rejection and three trajectories of delinquency/crime, that peer rejection and delinquency/crime were not strongly related in general, but a joint analysis of their relationship revealed that high peer rejection was related to high delinquency/crime among males but not among females. Implications and directions for future research are highlighted.

Explaining Latinx Youth Delinquency: A Gendered Test of Latinx General Strain Theory

2021 ◽  
pp. 215336872110479
Author(s):  
Egbert Zavala ◽  
Graciela Perez ◽  
Chiara Sabina
Keyword(s):  
Driving Forces ◽  
General Strain Theory ◽  
Delinquent Behavior ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Delinquent Behaviors ◽  
Youth Delinquency ◽  
Specific Strain ◽  
General Strain ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Latinx Youth

Recently, scholars have reintroduced a Latinx general strain theory in which it is suggested that ethnic-specific strains, including acculturation, are driving forces for criminal and delinquent behaviors among the Latinx population. Using data collected from the Dating Violence Among Latino Adolescents (DAVILA) Study, this study investigated whether these ethnic strains influenced delinquency differently based on the respondent's gender. Results indicate that boys engaged in more delinquent behaviors than girls, whereas girls were more acculturated than boys. Depression, anxiety, and social support were more prevalent among girls than among boys. In addition, girls were more likely to be enculturated and perform better in school than boys. Acculturation did not significantly predict delinquency for either boys or girls. In contrast, polyvictimization was the only variable to consistently predict delinquency among boys and girls. Results provided partial support for the hypotheses, in that, while depression and anxiety varied by gender as predicted by the gendered general strain theory, the ethnic-specific strain of acculturation failed to predict delinquent behavior in this sample. Ultimately, this study highlights the need to examine other ethnic-specific strains to better understand delinquent behavior among Latinx youth.

scholarly journals Are the Effects of Poverty and Victimization on Criminal Recidivism Mediated by Depression as Predicted by General Strain Theory? A Longitudinal Study of Provincially Sentenced Women

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer E. Newman
Keyword(s):  
General Strain Theory ◽  
Female Offenders ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Criminal Recidivism ◽  
General Strain ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Provincially Sentenced

The current study is a longitudinal analysis of psychosocial factors contributing to re-offending among 125 adult female offenders. Drawing on General Strain Theory (GST), the study examined the role of victimization and poverty on criminal recidivism and investigated whether this relationship was mediated by depression. Regression, survival, and mediational analyses were employed to examine the impact of these variables on criminal recidivism. Findings revealed that using illegal means to make ends meet, and having survived childhood sexual abuse, were particularly important predictors of recidivism for women in the study sample, although depression was not found to significantly mediate the relationship between strain and recidivism. Implications for future research on female recidivism and helping women to stay crime-free are discussed.

“I’m Not a Traditional Woman”: Tranquilizer Misuse as Self-Medication Among Adult Women

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 1562-1585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Brooks Dollar ◽  
Joshua A. Hendrix
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
General Strain Theory ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
General Strain ◽  
Using Data

Research consistently finds that men use all types of drugs more frequently and extensively than women. However, the misuse of prescription tranquilizers provides an exception. Recent research has found that women are more likely to misuse tranquilizers than men, yet few efforts have been made to systematically understand why this is the case and whether there are gendered factors that might help explain their misuse. Building on general strain theory and other scholarship concerning the links between psychological strain, mental–emotional health, and illicit drug use, we employed a mixed-methods design to investigate the interrelationships between gender, mental health, and tranquilizer misuse. Using data from the 2010 National Survey of Drug Use and Health, we examined tranquilizer misuse among women using various social, demographic, and health-related characteristics. Following this, we drew on nine in-depth interviews with adult women aged 21 to 69 years who reported a history of misusing tranquilizers. The quantitative data reveal that the odds of tranquilizer misuse are nearly two times higher for each unit increase on the poor mental health scale. Whereas being married increases the risk of misuse, having young children is associated with a decreased risk. Our analysis of the interview data reveals three main themes, related to tranquilizer access, reasons for misuse, and shame related to misuse. The interviews clearly uncover tranquilizer misuse as an attempt by women to manage competing demands between their work and home lives, and more specifically as a means of promoting success in both devotions. We conclude by arguing that women’s misuse of tranquilizers is a gendered behavior in response to gender-specific strains, which in turn reproduces gendering as an institution as well as in individual lives. The implications of these findings for general strain theory are also discussed.

The Strain From Procedural Injustice on Parolees: Bridging Procedural Justice Theory and General Strain Theory

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Liu ◽  
Christy A. Visher ◽  
Daniel J. O’Connell
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Procedural Justice ◽  
General Strain Theory ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Prisoner Reentry ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Criminal Propensity ◽  
Procedural Injustice ◽  
General Strain ◽  
Using Data

The procedural justice literature explains why people obey the law. However, prior research has largely neglected the implication of procedural justice in the correctional context in general and in parole efficacy in particular. In an attempt to bridge the propositions of procedural justice and general strain theory, this study assesses the effect of parolees’ perceived procedural injustice on their success in reentry. Using data from a longitudinal study of prisoner reentry, we investigate the nexus of procedural injustice, negative emotions, family bonds, and postrelease criminal propensity. Findings indicate that procedural injustice increases criminal propensity, and the negative emotion of depression partially mediates this relationship. We also find parolees’ family bonds totally mediate the effect of procedural injustice on criminal propensity.

Bullying and Delinquency: The Impact of Anger and Frustration

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charern Lee ◽  
Justin W. Patchin ◽  
Sameer Hinduja ◽  
Alexandra Dischinger
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Delinquent Behavior ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Sample ◽  
School Students ◽  
Being Bullied ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Research And Policy

Few studies have explored whether individuals who are bullied at school or online are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior. Even less is known about whether negative emotions (i.e., anger or frustration)—as a result of being victimized—mediate the relationships between being bullied or cyberbullied and delinquency (as predicted by Agnew's general strain theory). The current study uses data from a national sample of 2,670 middle and high school students in the United States. Results indicate that youth who were bullied or cyberbullied, and who experience negative emotions as a result, are more likely to engage in delinquency. Negative emotions did not mediate the relationship between bullying and delinquency; however, they did partly mediate the relationship between cyberbullying and delinquency. The findings indicate that being bullied matters more in explaining delinquent behavior than the negative emotions that may result. Implications for research and policy are discussed in light of these findings.

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