Strain Theory
Delia Sanchez
Professor Downey
December 1, 2016
Abstract
In this paper, the many reasons on how strain theory best attests juvenile punishment will be explained. Juveniles often go through many traumatizing events in their lives, and one reason on how to cope with that is, crime. Minors depend on crime for a number of things, such as seeking out a family, a way to rebel against their parents, and looking for a way to quickly “gather” money. Throughout the paper, the many details on how, and why this happens, will are further explained.
Strain Theory Juvenile delinquency is the behavior that violates criminal law by a youth individual who has not yet reached the age of specified age. Some of the earliest
…show more content…
In “Strain and Juvenile Delinquency: A Critical Review of Agnew’s General Strain Theory,” written by Giacinto Froggio, he states that “some individuals are drawn to crime when they are prevented from achieving cultural goals such as monetary success” (2). Because children don’t have the same monetary resources as adults, they are pressured to engage in criminal activities to get the things they want. A juvenile is more prone to partake in criminal activities when they come from a low income family. When a juvenile comes from a financially unstable family, the desire to own things they don’t have is even higher than their peers who can come from a financially stable middle-class family. Juveniles who don’t receive much from their parents due to monetary issues, ultimately take the matter into their own hands to take anything they don’t yet have. In “Socioeconomic Status, Economic Problems, and Delinquency,” written by: Agnew, Matthew, Bucher, Welcher, and Keyes, the authors explain how individuals with a lower socioeconomic status have more “trouble achieving the goal of economic success or middle-class status. They experience much frustration as a result and may turn to delinquency to achieve economic success (e.g., theft, drug selling), to make themselves feel better” (160). Agnew et al, reveal that very poor and chronically poor individuals may have moderately higher levels of serious delinquency” (160). It is clear that strain theory best argues how juvenile delinquency takes place. Juvenile delinquency can be closely related to the strain theory due to the multiple explanations it has to prove that juveniles can be succumbed to