Final answer:
Social disorganization theory suggests that delinquency is likely in low-income areas due to weak social ties and lack of social control. Poverty may drive individuals to crime for survival, with gangs offering a sense of belonging and financial opportunities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The relationship between delinquency and low-income status may be related to one's ability to engage in antisocial conduct, yet stay out of jail. This concept is closely associated with social disorganization theory, which posits that crime is more likely in communities with weak social ties and insufficient social control.
Social disorganization theory, developed by researchers at the University of Chicago, explains that impoverished neighborhoods with high rates of delinquency, substance abuse, and violence foster crime due to the lack of strong community bonds and social control. These findings are significant because they underscore the importance of the social environment, rather than ethnicity or individual traits, in influencing juvenile delinquency rates.
Furthermore, poverty itself can lead to crime, as individuals may turn to illegal activities to survive. This is often seen in countries with high poverty rates where crime and social unrest are prevalent, and where gangs might offer both a sense of belonging and a means to financial ends against a government that is blamed for their impoverished conditions.