Factors Of Sociologist Robert Agnew's General Strain Theory

There are many ways in which general strain theory can be implemented in policy. Programs created to reduce delinquency and crime must be focused on the negative emotions, behavior and actions of the individual, and relationships developed through interaction. A family based program is a program that could be implemented. The idea behind a family oriented program would be designed to address family bond and communication between the parents and children. Studies done in the past support the notion that relationship between the parents and child, as well as the strain experienced, can lead the child to delinquency. A survey conducted from 1,026 secondary school students in Guangzhou in Mainland China, and from 1,116 in Hong Kong indicated the intimate relationship between parents and adolescents, verify that family strain has a very strong impact on adolescent delinquency (Cheung, Ngai, & Ngai, 2007). Any family oriented program would be geared toward teaching families how to solve problems constructively. It would also show parents how to interact and discipline their children effectively. The goal of the program is to reduce the negative emotions families feel when there is conflict and strain.

Robert Agnew developed his theory called General Strain Theory based off of Robert Merton’s Classic Strain Theory. Agnew introduced three types of strain. Generally, “the higher the dose of strain that a person experiences the greater the likelihood of the person becoming engaged in crime or in some form of deviance” (Lilly, Cullen, & Ball, 1989). A journal article called “General Strain Theory and Delinquency: the Developmental Process of Robert Agnew’s Works from a Historical Perspective” says that “the strain may result from when others (1) prevent an individual from achieving positively valued goals; (2) remove positively valued stimuli pertaining to individual; (3) present

Robert Agnew’s General Strain theory expands prior theorist’s concepts which emphasizes that the obstruction of an individual goal or the inability of an individual to achieve conventional goals through appropriate means causes unlawful innovations, such as crime (Brezina, 2010). More so, Agnew’s expanded the concept of stressors in an effort to make stressors classless. In addition, Agnew states that the strains that generate strong pressure which tend to lead to criminal behaviors are chronic strains, strains that are rationalized to unjust or severe, and strains that can be resolved by crime (Agnew, 2001). Lastly, Agnew believes that criminal response is most likely to occur when normal coping strategies are absent.

The theory of General Strain is how the strain on an individual leads them toward criminal activities and behaviors. The main concepts of general strain theory explain how a negative relationship affects the individual and their future in the expansion towards delinquency. Negative or harmful relationships are defined as affiliations with others that are partake in similar criminal activity and how an individual believes they should be treated. The strain theory is broken down into three types: (1) Strain as the failure to achieve positively valued goals (Traditional Strain), (2) Strain as the removal of positively valued stimuli from the individual, and (3) Strain as the presentation of negative stimuli.

In the 1980’s, Criminologist, Robert Agnew, presented his theory of general strain, in which he covers a range of negative behaviors, especially how adolescents deal with stresses of strain. General strain theory focuses on the source, such as anything that changes in the individual’s life that causes strain. His theory provides a different outlook on social control and social learning theory for two reasons: the type of social relationship that leads to delinquency and the motivation for the delinquency (Agnew, 1992). He states that certain strains and stresses increase the likelihood for crime such as economic deprivation, child abuse, and discrimination. These factors can cause an increase of crime through a range of negative emotions. For some people it can take a lot of willpower to take a corrective action and try to deter away from committing crime in a way that they can relieve these negative emotions. When people cannot cope with the stresses of the strain, they turn to crime as a coping mechanism. Agnew also states, that not all people that experience the stresses of strain will go forward to committing crime and live a deviant life.

The general strain theory is an established theory that provides a basic understanding relating to different elements leading to specific criminal behaviors. The theory has been of importance in trying to map criminal patterns among individuals involved in criminal behavior, thereby creating a platform for their rehabilitation. The general strain theory has had a close connection to juvenile delinquency, as it creates a platform where psychologists can define some of the key factors prompting teenagers and youths to engage in criminal behaviors. According to Zhang (2008), teenagers and youths tend to become highly vulnerable to lack of emotional control attributed to an aspect of negative emotions, which do not include anger, thereby creating a platform for them to engage in behaviors that would be characterized as criminal. The main research problem of this report is to create a connection between the general strain theory and juvenile delinquency.

Agnew agrees with the core idea of classic strain theory. However, after further examination of his very own life and that of those around him, he found that “the perceived inability to achieve success through monetary means or middle class status was not a major stressor conducive to crime,” (Agnew, 2001, p.141). In fact, Agnew stated that the major strains conducive to crime are a bit more immediate in nature. To support this claim, psychological literature on aggression and stress suggest that strain involves more than the “pursuit of happiness” (Agnew, 1992). The loss of positively valued stimuli seems to be a larger contributor to juvenile negligence and delinquency.

654-656). Another part of GST (General Strain Theory) is the behaviors that are prevalent once the strains are introduced, generally anger, fear and depression are the ones that manifest most frequently. These behaviors are reactions to coping mechanisms, or lack thereof, provided to the individual either by themselves, their families, teachers or peers. Different kinds of strains relate to different criminal behaviors as reactions to them. There is also not a definite strain to crime situation that is predictable. Human nature, regardless of disorders and strains, is not a predictable culmination of factors and that is why it is so fascinating for humans to study ourselves. Within the strain theory studies the one emotion that seems to give the most violent reactions is

Strain Theory could have a strong influence on a youth’s lifestyle and be a theory explaining why juveniles have turned towards delinquency as a building block in the direction of adulthood. The following essay will be introducing a belief on why strain theory is one of the foremost concepts leading to misbehavior in adolescents.

In 1992, Robert Agnew wrote his now famous work the Foundation for a General Strain Theory of Crime and Delinquency, which focuses on the causes of delinquency, particularly strain and social control theories. Building on the Merton's traditional Stain Theory, and the single concept that strain refers to individuals that are unable to achieve their goals, Agnew goes on and refers to stain as also the "relationship in which others are not treating the individual as he or she would like to be treated" (1992, 48). In other words, Robert Agnew with his General Strain Theory, has sought to introduce a variety of other factors that can influence strain such as, the removal (or loss) of positive stimuli from an individual or environment, blocked opportunities, and the introduction of negative stimuli to an individual or into an environment; and the role such relationships represent concerning subsequent criminal activity and delinquency (Agnew, 1992). This can ultimately increase the possibility that an individual will experience one or more ranges of negative emotions connected with the three types of strain. According to Agnew (1992) disappointment, depression, and fear are mostly connected with the three type of strain, however anger is said to be the most dangerous emotional reaction for the purpose of the General Strain Theory.

Rather than deriving from economic goals-means that Robert Merton concluded was the only source of strain in his Anomie Theory, Agnew believed strain caused crime in the absence of adequate coping mechanisms. In that, he proposed different types and sources of strain. Types of strains included relative deprivation; a strain that is caused by constant frustration that results from feelings of inadequacy, which produces aggression and can lead to violence; and stressful life events, which is the major type of strain Lenny experienced. Agnew also listed sources of strain that an individual may experience. Failure to achieve positively valued goals, presentation of negative stimuli, removal of positively valued stimuli, and disjunction of expectations and achievements are all potential sources of strain for an individual. Lenny’s deviance stems from the last two, disjunction of expectations and achievements and removal of positively valued goals. With the sources of strain in place, Agnew offered two outcomes, either the individual would adapt to the strain with conformity or crime. In Lenny’s case, he didn’t commit typical crimes, but his actions were deviant in his escape from

After the researchers controlling for self-control, their measure of parental efficacy continued to maintain a strong relationship with delinquency (Margaryan, 2004). Their measure of deviant peers was also a strong predictor of

It allows theorists to not only know the category of the strain, but how individuals cope with them. Most individuals use crime a back-up when they lack some skills and resources to cope with the strain. The strain arises from negative emotions from negative relationships with others. Individual characteristics helps them to cope poorly or well with strain. Now, the theory reminds us that strain is multifaceted and how we cope is more important than the strain’s existence. But, it fails to elaborate on structural origins of strain. It is extremely broad to the point that researchers have little direction as to the exact types of strain to examine. There are many different types of strain that fall underneath the categories of major strains. Agnew treated theses strains equal in terms of their impact on crime. According to the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, the broadness makes it hard to falsify. “If strain can be defined in so many ways, then the strain theory is virtually unfalsifiable. There is always a new measure that might salvage the theory” (Jensen, 1995). It is critical that general strain theory is clearer on the types of strain that most likely leads to crime and delinquency. The power control theory helps us understand that through the upraising of child it correlates to the children’s deviant behavior. It allows us to understand that they are different types of families and each one are based off a different set of morals and values. According to Ball et al., (2011) Hagan’s theory did not evaluate other situations besides power balance in the household that might influence delinquency. An example of this would be a single mother living in a depleted neighborhood. Ball et al., also points out that the theory only explained general delinquent behavior. The gender differences within delinquent behavior have little to do with

Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory claims that strain eventually leads to crime—ultimately his theory ultimately helps to explain why one commits crime. Agnew further explains his theory by saying “when people are treated badly, they may get upset and engage in crime. In Explaining Criminals and Crime, Paternoster and Bachman provide more examples “they may assault the peers who mistreat them, run away from the parents who abuse them, or take drugs to make themselves feel better”. General Strain Theory, or GST, can be measured in two ways; the first, and most direct, way would be asking the individual how they feel about the way they are being treated in the situation or the relationship as a whole—this provides the researcher with subjective

A major cause of low self-control is improperly raising a child (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990). In fact, research has shown that affection, supervision, and discipline have all been absent from the homes of delinquents. In order to teach children self-control someone must at least monitor the child’s behavior, recognize deviant behavior when it occurs, and punish this kind of behavior.