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. 2010 Nov 1;47(4):469-495.
doi: 10.1177/0022427810375577.

Effects of Hurricane Katrina and Other Adverse Life Events on Adolescent Female Offenders: A Test of General Strain Theory

Angela R Robertson  1 , Judith A Stein, Lacey Schaefer-Rohleder
Affiliations

Effects of Hurricane Katrina and Other Adverse Life Events on Adolescent Female Offenders: A Test of General Strain Theory

Angela R Robertson et al. J Res Crime Delinq. .

Abstract

This study tested Agnew's General Strain Theory (GST) by examining the roles of anger, anxiety, and maladaptive coping in mediating the relationship between strain and three outcomes (serious delinquency, minor delinquency, and continued involvement in the juvenile justice system) among adolescent female offenders (N = 261). Strains consisted of adverse life events and exposure to Hurricane Katrina. Greater exposure to Hurricane Katrina was directly related to serious delinquency and maladaptive coping. Hurricane Katrina also had an indirect effect on minor delinquency and Post-Katrina juvenile justice involvement mediated through maladaptive coping. Adverse life events were associated with increased anger, anxiety, and maladaptive coping. Anger mediated the relationship between adverse life events and serious delinquency. Anxiety mediated the relationship between adverse life events and minor delinquency. Maladaptive coping strategies were associated with minor delinquency and juvenile justice involvement. Findings lend support to GST.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interests with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hypothetical mediated model testing General Strain Theory.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Structural equation model depicting significant regression paths (N = 261 incarcerated female adolescents). Large circles represent latent variables; rectangles represent single-item indicators of ethnicity and time since Katrina. Single-headed arrows represent regression coefficients; two-headed arrows represent correlations. Regression coefficients are standardized (*p ≤ .05, **p ≤.01, ***p ≤ .001)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Acoca Leslie, Dedel Kelly. No Place to Hide: Understanding and Meeting the Needs of Girls in the California Juvenile Justice System. San Francisco, CA: The National Council on Crime and Delinquency; 1998.
    1. Agnew Robert. A Revised Strain Theory of Delinquency. Social Forces. 1985;64:151–67.
    1. Agnew Robert. Foundation for a General Strain Theory of Crime and Delinquency. Criminology. 1992;30:47–88.

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