General Strain Theory, Religiosity, and Delinquency among Young Latino Americans

Utilizing general strain theory and drawing from contemporary racial stratification literature and the sociology of religion, I contend general strain theory is salient among young Latinos. Additionally, I hypothesize religiosity is negatively correlated with delinquency, and attenuates the effects of strain on negative emotions and those of negative emotions on delinquency. Moreover, I hypothesize the impact of religiosity is more salient for foreign born than native born Latino youth. I test these hypotheses using data from the first two waves of Add Health. Results generally provide support for my hypotheses. The implications of these results and directions for future studies are discussed.