<![CDATA[ABSTRACT Low levels of literacy and numeracy among adolescents are not merely academic issues but are closely associated with the rise of juvenile delinquency in Jombang Regency. Data from the 2023 Minimum Competency Assessment (AKM) indicate that only 38.2% of junior high school students met the literacy standard and 32.7% achieved the numeracy standard, figures that remain below the national average. This condition contributes to academic frustration, weak school engagement, and encourages adolescents to seek social recognition through deviant behavior. This study aims to analyze the relationship between literacy–numeracy deficits and juvenile delinquency using Robert K. Merton’s Strain Theory. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, the research was conducted from January to February 2024 in three sub-districts with the lowest AKM performance: Mojoagung, Bareng, and Ngoro. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentation involving ten informants, including adolescents, school counselors, parents, and community leaders. The findings reveal that limited literacy and numeracy skills generate strain due to adolescents’ inability to access legitimate means of achieving socially valued goals, such as academic success. As a result, adolescents tend to adopt deviant adaptations, particularly innovation and retreatism. These findings emphasize that juvenile delinquency reflects structural strain within the educational system rather than merely individual moral failure. Therefore, policy interventions should prioritize improving access to and the quality of basic education as a sustainable preventive strategy. ABSTRAK Rendahnya tingkat literasi dan numerasi di kalangan remaja tidak hanya menjadi persoalan akademik, tetapi juga berkaitan dengan meningkatnya kenakalan remaja di Kabupaten Jombang. Data Asesmen Kompetensi Minimum (AKM) tahun 2023 menunjukkan bahwa hanya 38,2% siswa SMP mencapai standar literasi dan 32,7% mencapai standar numerasi, angka yang berada di bawah rata-rata nasional. Kondisi ini memicu frustrasi akademik, rendahnya keterikatan terhadap sekolah, serta mendorong remaja mencari pengakuan sosial melalui perilaku menyimpang. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis hubungan antara defisit literasi-numerasi dan kenakalan remaja dengan menggunakan perspektif Teori Strain Robert K. Merton. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dan dilaksanakan pada Januari–Februari 2024 di tiga kecamatan dengan capaian AKM terendah, yaitu Mojoagung, Bareng, dan Ngoro. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara mendalam, observasi partisipatif, dan dokumentasi terhadap 10 informan yang terdiri atas remaja, guru bimbingan konseling, orang tua, dan tokoh masyarakat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa keterbatasan literasi dan numerasi menimbulkan strain akibat ketidakmampuan remaja mengakses jalur sah pencapaian tujuan sosial, sehingga mendorong adaptasi menyimpang berupa inovasi dan retreatism. Temuan ini menegaskan bahwa kenakalan remaja merupakan ekspresi ketegangan struktural dalam sistem pendidikan, sehingga intervensi kebijakan perlu difokuskan pada peningkatan kualitas pendidikan dasar.]]>
