Linking students to appropriate interventions: A typology for social workers based on general strain theory

Abstract

• Summary: The present study employed recent elaborations on general strain theory (GST) to develop a typology of vicarious and anticipated strain. The typology also considered gender-race combinations. The study used a sample of 11,222 adolescents who completed the School Success Profile for school assessment purposes. • Findings: Latent class analysis identified four patterns of vicarious and anticipated strain among adolescents. The patterns varied by sample members’ gender-race combinations. The latent class solution was replicated with two subsamples and validated by testing its association with behavior problems. • Application: Evidence-based practices are suggested for students experiencing different combinations of strain, and specific applications for social work practice are presented.