According to Robert Merton, rebels accept the goals but significantly reject or alter the means of acquiring the goals; put simply, they cheat or "hustle." They innovate and seek alternative means to success-often illegitimate. This mode of adaptation accounts for the majority of the crime explained by strain theory.

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Robert Merton's strain theory identifies five modes of adaptation to strain, with "rebellion" being one of them. Rebels reject both the societal goals and the institutionalized means of achieving them, seeking to replace both with new ones. The description provided mixes elements of "innovation" (accepting societal goals but using new, often illegitimate means) and "rebellion" (rejecting both goals and means and seeking to replace them).

According to Robert Merton, Rebels Accept the Goals but Significantly