Subculture theory in criminology explains how crimes develop as cultural norms within certain groups or communities. The theory highlights that some social groups create their own values, rules, and norms. If these values contradict the laws of society, then criminal behavior becomes normalized within that group.
American criminologist Albert Cohen, in his book Delinquent Boys: The Culture of the Gang, argued that adolescents from lower social classes, who fail to succeed in the school system, form a subculture with delinquent values (e.g., aggression, theft). Through this subculture, they compensate for the feeling of rejection by society. According to Cohen, in subculture theory, delinquent youths are described as those drawn into “gang” or “street culture” due to social failure.