Sociology 2267A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Juvenile Delinquency, Social Learning Theory, Differential Association
1 Oct 2018
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Document Summary
According to strain theory, when juveniles experience strain or stress, they become upset, and they sometimes engage in delinquency as a result. Merton"s original version of strain theory was based on the following: When individuals fail to achieve culturally acceptable goal through culturally acceptable means, they experience strain. The attempt to adapt to this strain in multiple different ways. Strain is more likely to lead to delinquency when it involves areas of life that the individual considers important. Strain is more likely to lead to delinquency among individuals with poor coping skills and resources. Strain is more likely to lead to delinquency among individuals with few conventional social supports. Juveniles learn to engage in delinquent behavior in the same way they learn to engage in conforming behavior. Depends primarily on the nature of the people they associate with. Much of social learning theory involves a description of the mechanisms by which juveniles learn to engage in delinquency from others.
