Cohen's theory posits that working-class boys create delinquent subcultures to:

Cohen's theory of delinquent subcultures suggests that working-class boys experience status frustration due to their inability to achieve the same social status and success as middle-class peers through conventional means. This frustration arises primarily from their experiences in an educational system that often values and rewards behaviors and attributes associated with middle-class norms. As a response to this feeling of inadequacy and the lack of access to legitimate means of gaining status, these boys form delinquent subcultures.

These subcultures offer alternative values and norms that emphasize behaviors such as defiance against authority and peer solidarity, allowing the boys to achieve status within their own social group. Therefore, engaging in delinquency becomes a way to cope with their frustrations and create a identity that contrasts with the expectations of the middle class, fulfilling their need for recognition and respect among their peers.

The other options are less aligned with Cohen's argument. For instance, reinforcing middle-class values runs counter to the rebellious nature of delinquent subcultures, while achieving status through legitimate means is not achievable for these boys within the framework Cohen describes. Engaging in competitive academic environments also does not fit, as his theory emphasizes the challenges faced by working-class boys in such spaces, rather than their engagement in it. Overall,