Social Structure & Strain Theories
This theory explains delinquency through poverty, mobility, and cultural heterogeneity in urban areas.
Ecological Theory?
Cohen’s theory says lower-class youth experience this when judged by middle-class standards.
Status Frustration
This theory by Sutherland says criminal behavior is learned through interaction.
Differential Association Theory
This type of prevention targets entire populations before delinquency begins.
Primary Prevention
These programs redirect youth from formal justice to community-based support.
Diversion Programs
These programs reduce stigma by avoiding formal justice involvement.
Community-Based Programs
Merton’s theory argues that blocked access to economic success leads to this.
Strain Theory
These “measuring rods” include ambition, time management, and delayed gratification.
Middle-Class Measuring Rods
Ronald Aker’s theory uses this psychological concept to explain behavior reinforcement.
Operant Conditioning
These three developmental stages show increasing risk factors from infancy to adolescence.
Infancy, Toddlerhood, and Mid-Childhood
This term describes when diversion increases system involvement for low-risk youth.
Net Widening
This arts-based program helps youth process trauma and advocate for peace.
Hands Without Guns
This adaptation accepts cultural goals but uses illegitimate means to achieve them.
Innovation
Cloward and Ohlin’s theory introduced this concept where youth learn crime from adult mentors.
Illegitimate Opportunity Structure
In differential association, learning varies by frequency, duration, priority, and this.
Intensity
This program provides early education and home visits, reducing arrests by age 40.
Perry Preschool Program
This peer-led justice model allows youth to serve as judges, jurors, and attorneys.
Teen Court
This youth-led body influences policy and fosters peer support.
Youth Advisory Council (YAC)
Agnew’s theory links delinquency to emotions like anger and frustration.
General Strain Theory
These gangs form in organized communities and focus on economic crimes.
Criminal Gangs
This type of reinforcement increases behavior by removing something unpleasant.
Negative Reinforcement
This federal initiative promotes school readiness for low-income children.
Project Head Start
This Washington State program uses volunteers to create personalized diversion plans.
Community Accountability Board
This program provides job training and education for youth aged 16–24.
Job Corps
This adaptation rejects both cultural goals and means, often leading to drug use.
Retreatism
Walter Miller identified this value as thrill-seeking through gambling, fighting, and intoxication.
Excitement
This type of reinforcement increases behavior by adding a desirable stimulus.
Positive Reinforcement
This mentoring program showed a 54% reduction in arrests after 18 months.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
This failed program tried to scare youth straight by exposing them to prison life.
Scared Straight
This national organization offers structured after-school programs to reduce delinquency.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America