The Role of Cultural Variables in the Victimization-Delinquency Overlap Among Latino Youth: A General Strain Theory Perspective

• In Event: Research on the Impact of School Conditions, the Role of Cultural Factors, the Conditioning Hypotheses, and the Empirical Evidence of General Strain Theory

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the extent to which victimization is associated with delinquent behavior among a national sample of Latino youth using a general strain theory (GST) framework, with a central focus on how cultural factors impact this relationship. Data from the Dating Violence among Latino Adolescents (DAVILA) study, a national delinquency and victimization survey of Latino youth, were used to address significant gaps in the GST literature. In addition to furthering the research base for GST, a more nuanced, culturally-sensitive understanding of the victimization-delinquency overlap among Latino youth was gained from the current paper. Incorporating cultural factors into the study of GST among Latino youth can help elucidate which cultural factors protect these adolescents from engaging in criminal activity and provide recommendations for relevant crime prevention policy.

Authors

• Rebecca M. Cudmore, Northeastern University

• Carlos Cuevas, Northeastern University