Especially in the contemporary consumer generation, there is such a significant emphasis on material success, which powers the feeling of deprivation more amongst the ‘have nots’.

Linked to anomie and strain is the concept of status frustration. Status frustration is associated with Albert Cohen (1955), whose research focused on group offending in young, lower-class men. Cohen claimed that youth from lower class background could not achieve the same cultural aspirations as the middle- class; thus, they rejected them by creating their own culture and values. In school, for example, rather than gaining status from their teachers, they attain respect through their peers, involving themselves in delinquentdelinquency or violence such as bullying and playing up in class.

This theory could be applied to Ganggang violence, with the majority of individuals involved being from very deprived areas. Therefore, they find it difficult to take on the same cultural aspirations; in turn, this can lead them wanting to reject them and make their own. Gangs can provide individuals with attractive goals which the individuals deem attainable. Gangs often have a ‘street cred’, or have given reputation of power in a particular neighbourhood (Brantingham, Tita, Short, & Reid, 2012). Joining a gang with a high level of power can give an individual'sindividual a sense of status and respect, increasing onesone's esteem. This feeling of power is very attractive to individuals that may otherwise feel marginalised from society (Capozzoli & McVey, 2000); this would explain why gangs are so prevalent in deprived areas.

Left realism argues that crime disproportionately affects the poor and disadvantaged (Lea & Young, 1984). A key concept of this theory is relative deprivation. This is closely associated with the anomie theory; relative deprivation suggests that violent crime can occur when an individual or groups feel as though they are unfairly disadvantaged when comparing themselves to otherothers.