Specifying General Strain Theory: An Ethnically Relevant Approach

The current study incorporated principles from the acculturation literature to specify an ethnically relevant general strain theory (GST). This study argues that the acculturation process exposes Hispanics to unique types of strain (e.g., prejudice and discrimination) that may increase the likelihood of delinquency. Further varying levels of Hispanic concentration can moderate the effect of acculturative strain on delinquency, whereby the effect of ethnic-specific strains may be more pronounced where ethnic concentration is low. Responses from self-administered questionnaires of 1,729 Hispanic adolescents were analyzed to test various hypotheses regarding the effects of traditional and acculturation-related strains on violent delinquency. The findings indicated that GST is generalizable to Hispanic adolescents. The analyses also found support for the prediction that, conditional on the level of Hispanic concentration, ethnic-specific strain measures increased the likelihood of violent delinquency among Hispanic adolescents. This study provided a foundation for future empirical analyses of criminological theories among Hispanic populations.

[1]  S. Kobrin.  : Delinquency and Opportunity: A Theory of Delinquent Gangs , 1961 .

[2]  T. Gibbens.  Age and Crime , 1965, Mental health.

[3]  I. Cuéllar,et al.  An Acculturation Scale for Mexican American Normal and Clinical Populations. , 1980 .

[4]  H. B. Kaplan.  Deviant behavior in defense of self , 1980 .

[5]  R. Buriel,et al.  The Relationship of Traditional Mexican American Culture to Adjustment and Delinquency among Three Generations of Mexican American Male Adolescents , 1982 .

[6]  J. Figueira-Mcdonough.  On the Usefulness of Merton's Anomie Theory , 1983 .

[7]  R. Cervantes,et al.  Stress, Coping, and Mexican American Mental Health: A Systematic Review , 1985 .

[8]  S. Messner.  GEOGRAPHICAL MOBILITY, GOVERNMENTAL ASSISTANCE TO THE POOR, AND RATES OF URBAN CRIME , 1986 .

[9]  R. Loeber,et al.  Family Factors as Correlates and Predictors of Juvenile Conduct Problems and Delinquency , 1986, Crime and Justice.

[10]  R. Caetano.  Acculturation and drinking patterns among U.S. Hispanics. , 1987, British journal of addiction.

[11]  S. Schinke,et al.  Hispanic youth, substance abuse, and stress: implications for prevention research. , 1988, The International journal of the addictions.

[12]  E. Oetting,et al.  Mexican American and white American school dropouts' drug use, health status, and involvement in violence. , 1989, Public health reports.

[13]  B. Plake,et al.  Moderating Effects of Sociocultural Variables on Acculturation Attitudes of Hispanics and Asian Americans. , 1991 .

[14]  Robert Agnew,et al.  AN EMPIRICAL TEST OF GENERAL STRAIN THEORY , 1992 .

[15]  Velmer S. Burton,et al.  THE EMPIRICAL STATUS OF STRAIN THEORY , 1992 .

[16]  R. Agnew.  Foundation for a General Strain Theory of Crime and Delinquency , 1992, Crime, Inequality and the State.

[17]  R. Bachman,et al.  The Rationality of Sexual Offending: Testing a Deterrence/Rational Choice Conception of Sexual Assault , 1992 .

[18]  R. Zimmerman,et al.  Acculturation and delinquent behavior among Cuban American adolescents: Toward an empirical model , 1993, American journal of community psychology.

[19]  Juan I. Sanchez,et al.  Acculturative Stress Among Hispanics: A Bidimensional Model of Ethnic Identification , 1993 .

[20]  J. Fagan,et al.  Sociocultural Influences on the Explanation of Delinquency for Puerto Rican Youths , 1993 .

[21]  J. Szapocznik,et al.  Family psychology and cultural diversity: Opportunities for theory, research, and application. , 1993 .

[22]  R. Zimmerman,et al.  Acculturation strain theory: its application in explaining drug use behavior among Cuban and other Hispanic youth. , 1993, NIDA research monograph.

[23]  E. Oetting,et al.  Dropout and delinquency: Mexican-American and Caucasian non-Hispanic youth , 1994 .

[24]  W. Vega,et al.  Acculturative stress and personal adjustment among hispanic adolescent boys , 1994 .

[25]  Paul Mazerolle,et al.  General Strain Theory and Delinquency: A Replication and Extension , 1994 .

[26]  Velmer S. Burton,et al.  RELIGION AND CRIME REEXAMINED: THE IMPACT OF RELIGION, SECULAR CONTROLS, AND SOCIAL ECOLOGY ON ADULT CRIMINALITY* , 1995 .

[27]  Julie F. Smart,et al.  Acculturative Stress of Hispanics: Loss and Challenge. , 1995 .

[28]  D. Flannery,et al.  The effects of ethnicity and acculturation on early adolescent delinquency , 1995 .

[29]  Julie F. Smart,et al.  Acculturative Stress , 1995 .

[30]  D. Kandel.  The Parental and Peer Contexts of Adolescent Deviance: An Algebra of Interpersonal Influences , 1996 .

[31]  J S Jackson,et al.  Racism and the physical and mental health status of African Americans: a thirteen year national panel study. , 1996, Ethnicity & disease.

[32]  Robert Agnew,et al.  A new test of classic strain theory , 1996 .

[33]  T. Brezina.  ADAPTING TO STRAIN: AN EXAMINATION OF DELINQUENT COPING RESPONSES* , 1996 .

[34]  R. Roberts,et al.  Ethnic identity and acculturation in a young adult Mexican origin population , 1997 .

[35]  R. Agnew,et al.  Relational Problems with Peers, Gender, and Delinquency , 1997 .

[36]  J. Hoffmann,et al.  The Conditional Effects of Stress on Delinquency and Drug Use: A Strain Theory Assessment of Sex Differences , 1997 .

[37]  A. Piquero,et al.  Violent Responses to Strain: An Examination of Conditioning Influences , 1997, Violence and Victims.

[38]  R. Agnew,et al.  Gender and Crime: A General Strain Theory Perspective , 1997 .

[39]  W. Vega,et al.  A Model for Explaining Drug Use Behavior Among Hispanic Adolescents , 1998, Conducting Drug Abuse Research with Minority Populations: Advances and Issues.

[40]  S. Aguilar‐gaxiola,et al.  Illicit drug use among Mexicans and Mexican Americans in California: the effects of gender and acculturation. , 1998, Addiction.

[41]  Alex R. Piquero,et al.  Linking exposure to strain with anger: an investigation of deviant adaptations , 1998 .

[42]  A. Piquero,et al.  USING THE CORRECT STATISTICAL TEST FOR THE EQUALITY OF REGRESSION COEFFICIENTS , 1998 .

[43]  P. Mazerolle.  Gender, general strain, and delinquency: An empirical examination , 1998 .

[44]  R. Avilés,et al.  Perceptions of Chicano/Latino Students Who Have Dropped Out of School , 1999 .

[45]  N. Gonzales,et al.  Multiple Mediators of the Effects of Acculturation Status on Delinquency for Mexican American Adolescents , 1999, American journal of community psychology.

[46]  Robert Agnew,et al.  A General Strain Theory of Community Differences in Crime Rates , 1999 .

[47]  K. Matheny,et al.  Socio-Psychological Predictors of Acculturative Stress among Latino Adults , 2000 .

[48]  R. Dana.  Acculturation, Ethnic Identity, and Acculturative Stress: Evidence and Measurement , 2000 .

[49]  J. A. Epstein,et al.  Alcohol Use among Hispanic Adolescents: Role of Linguistic Acculturation and Gender. , 2000 .

[50]  B. Finch,et al.  Perceived discrimination and depression among Mexican-origin adults in California. , 2000, Journal of health and social behavior.

[51]  Velmer S. Burton,et al.  Strain, Anger, and Delinquent Adaptations: Specifying General Strain Theory , 2000 .

[52]  Celia B. Fisher,et al.  Discrimination Distress During Adolescence , 2000 .

[53]  Stephen A. Cernkovich,et al.  Race, Crime, and the American Dream , 2000 .

[54]  E. Wagner,et al.  Acculturation, familism, and alcohol use among Latino adolescent males: Longitudinal relations , 2000 .

[55]  Gargi Roysircar-Sodowsky,et al.  Acculturation, ethnic identity, and acculturative stress: Evidence and measurement. , 2000 .

[56]  R. Aseltine,et al.  Life stress, anger and anxiety, and delinquency: an empirical test of general strain theory. , 2000, Journal of health and social behavior.

[57]  Lisa Broidy.  A test of general strain theory , 2001 .

[58]  Robert Agnew,et al.  Building on the Foundation of General Strain Theory: Specifying the Types of Strain Most Likely to Lead to Crime and Delinquency , 2001 .

[59]  C. Sneed,et al.  Acculturation and interrelationships between problem and health-promoting behaviors among Latino adolescents. , 2001, The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[60]  A. Piquero,et al.  General strain theory, situational anger, and social networks: An assessment of conditioning influences , 2001 .

[61]  B. Finch,et al.  The Role of Discrimination and Acculturative Stress in the Physical Health of Mexican-Origin Adults , 2001 .

[62]  Stephen W. Baron,et al.  Street youth and labor market strain , 2002 .

[63]  J. Tein,et al.  The Relationship Between Acculturation and Problem Behavior Proneness in a Hispanic Youth Sample: A Longitudinal Mediation Model , 2002, Journal of abnormal child psychology.

[64]  J. Wayman.  Student Perceptions of Teacher Ethnic Bias: A Comparison of Mexican American and Non-Latino White Dropouts and Students , 2002 .

[65]  Carter Hay.  Family Strain, Gender, and Delinquency , 2003 .

[66]  R. Turner,et al.  Stress Exposure, Race, and Young Adult Male Crime , 2003 .

[67]  Eric A. Stewart,et al.  Incidents of discrimination and risk for delinquency: A longitudinal test of strain theory with an African American sample , 2003 .

[68]  S. J. Jang,et al.  Strain, Negative Emotions, and Deviant Coping Among African Americans: A Test of General Strain Theory , 2003 .

[69]  Miriam D. Sealock,et al.  Gender and general strain theory: A preliminary test of Broidy and Agnew's gender/GST hypotheses , 2004 .

[70]  Stephen W. Baron,et al.  GENERAL STRAIN, STREET YOUTH AND CRIME: A TEST OF AGNEW'S REVISED THEORY* , 2004 .

[71]  Robert Agnew,et al.  Pressured Into Crime: An Overview of General Strain Theory , 2005 .

[72]  S. Sharp,et al.  disentangling strain, personal attributes, affective response and deviance: a gendered analysis , 2005 .

[73]  Jennifer B. Unger,et al.  A Comparison of Acculturation Measures Among Hispanic/Latino Adolescents , 2007 .

[74]  Detis T. Duhart.  Urban, Suburban, and Rural Victimization, 1993-98 , 2022 .