Subjective Strains, Conditioning Factors, and Juvenile Delinquency: General Strain Theory in Taiwan

Agnew's [Agnew, R. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 38(4), 319-361, 2001, 2006a, 2006b] general strain theory (GST) argues that subjective strain and objective strain should be distinguished from each other, and that subjective strain should be related more strongly to delinquency. In addition, GST suggests that the strain-delinquency relationship is conditioned by certain conditioning factors, and that research should treat these conditioning factors as a whole, i. e., the individual's "overall" standing regarding these conditional factors. The present study uses a random sample of Taiwanese adolescents (13-17 years old) to study these two issues. The results suggest that strain as measured in this study is related positively to delinquency; however, subjective strain does not differ from objective strain in predicting delinquency. Additionally, the "overall standing" conditioning factors interact differently with subjective strain and objective strain but in the expected direction. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.