Question

A survey of homeless youth in Canada shows a strong correlation between hunger, lack of shelter, and unemployment, on the one hand, and theft, prostitution, and even violent crime on the other. Whose theory of delinquency best explains this relationship?

Answer 1

Answer:

Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin's opportunity deliquency theory.

Explanation:

Deliquency and Opportunity theory states that "American culture generally advances a notion that if we work hard and are smart and capable, we will find suitable employment, but Cloward and Ohlin noted that this isn't always the case. There aren't always enough jobs for everyone, our school systems don't prepare students equally, and we don't all live in neighborhoods that provide us with opportunities.

The opportunities we have available to us determine in many ways if we will turn to delinquency or conform to more legitimate paths. According to Cloward and Ohlin, young people turn to delinquency when they have been boxed out of more legitimate opportunities. An example is when working class young people cannot find a good paying job or achieve middle class status, and they turn to delinquency in an effort to create a better life."

Reference: Cummins, Emily. “Cloward and Ohlin's Delinquency and Opportunity Theory Video.” Study.com, Study.com, 2019