The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and delinquent behavior among African American youth. First, this study explores whether SES influences parental monitoring, parent-child attachment, deviant peer associations, and strain among African American adolescents from varying socioeconomic status backgrounds. Next an assessment was conducted to decipher whether theoretical construct variables from foundational criminological theories rooted in social control, strain, and social learning are valid predictors of delinquency among African American adolescents from varying SES backgrounds. Finally, a statistical framework was created to test whether parenting, deviant peers, or strain moderates the relationship between SES and delinquency.

This study uses simple linear and a hierarchical linear regression to examine the relationship between SES and delinquency while taking into account potential interactive effects of parenting practices, deviant peer associations, and strain experienced by African American adolescents. The results from this study reveal that no direct, statistically significant relationship exists between SES and delinquency for African American adolescents. However, SES plays an important role in influencing parental monitoring, parent-child attachment, deviant peer association, and strain variables. In addition, some of the theoretical construct variables from social control, social learning, and strain theories are strong predictors of delinquent behavior among African American adolescents from varying SES backgrounds. These results offer partial support for social control, strain, and social learning theories.