Examining Race and Ethnicity in the Context of General Strain Theory, Depression, and Delinquency

The current study draws on general strain theory (GST) to explore the relationship between strain, race, and delinquent behavior. White, black, and Hispanic youth were examined to assess the effect of strain on nonserious and serious delinquency. Results indicate mixed support for GST in that indicators of strain to varying degrees predicted depression and youth involvement in delinquency. However, depression did not mediate the straindelinquency relationship, and race and ethnicity were still directly related to delinquent coping. While white, black, and Hispanic youth experienced certain types of strain, these groups overall were not statistically different from one another.