Gender, general strain, and delinquency: An empirical examination*

Abstract

Despite an increase of research on general strain theory (GST), an empirical analysis investigating potential differences between males and females has not been conducted. Here we conduct univariate and multivariate comparisons between males and females to assess whether significant differences exist across groups. In longitudinal models predicting delinquent behavior, we find evidence of the positive effect of strain on subsequent delinquency net of other predictors. Moreover, in comparing the effects of predictors across groups, we find evidence that the effects of GST-related predictors do not differ between males and females at conventional levels of significance. In focusing on crime-specific effects for violent and property-related delinquency, however, we find some evidence of gender differences in the effects of negative life events and experiences on subsequent delinquency. We discuss future directions for examining the gendered nature of delinquent behavior from a GST perspective.