School policies, academic achievement, and general strain theory: applications to juvenile justice settings

This review provides a discussion of school-related policies and how they relate to juvenile justice (JJ) practices. The goal of this article is to provide an interdisciplinary understanding that integrates education and school psychology with JJ literature. The paper goes beyond a general review of the known educational challenges common in juvenile offender populations to focus on academic and emotional challenges in school settings and how these challenges can foster delinquency according to general strain theory (Agnew, 2005). The shared understanding may facilitate research, influence policies, and stimulate advocacy to address school challenges facing youth who may be at risk for juvenile crime and recidivism. Keywords: juvenile delinquency, general strain theory, learning disabilities, psychological assessment Language: en