Gang Leader For A Day: Strain Theory

Strain theory points out that certain societal structures push individuals to commit crimes (Agnew, Robert, Brezina, Wright, Cullen, 2002). For example, when individuals are not able to successfully attain their goals through legitimate means they resort to illegitimate means to attain them. Strain theory is divided into three major categories: The first category is “ (1) prevent individuals from achieving their positively valued goals, including monetary, status, and autonomy goals; (2) remove or threaten to remove positively valued stimuli that individuals possess; and (3) present or threaten to present individuals with noxious or negative value stimuli” (Agnew et al . , 2002). These three categories of strains can ultimately drive individuals into deviant subcultures. Growing up, Guzman Loera faced some of these strains, therefore strain theory will be used to explain his engagement in criminal

In this paper, I will analysis the film Boyz N the Hood based on and around the criminology concept of the General Strain Theory. The film Boyz N the Hood depicts a story about an African-American boy growing up in “the hood” of South Central LA. South Central is a place where on average 1 out of 21 African American men will be die as a result of “the streets”. African Americans within the African-American community are more susceptible to becoming a casualty to gang affiliation and violence. If a person makes the wrong choices in life or even if they are faced with the right circumstances that force this person to join a gang their likelihood of dying as a result dramatically increases.

The strain theory not only focuses on sociology but criminology as well. It states that individuals who lack means to be successful will find other outlets, such as dealing drugs, to help compensate for lack of financial stability. If the government would focus on supporting the correctional system and helping to rehabilitates their inmates, the recidivism rate would decrease drastically. By decreasing the recidivism rate, this would also successfully re-enter felons back into society and would decrease crime rates within America. This will also primarily affect their offspring who are also affected by crime in the theory to decrease their chances of entering the correctional system. An example, of a crime that is on the macro level within

The evolution of sociological theories of crime was created in the 19th century and continues to develop today. Strain, social learning, and control theories are the three major sociological theories. The Strain Theory states there are pressure to achieve socially and culturally set goals. Though without the means to achieve these goals creates a burden which pressures individuals to committing crime. Social Structure Theory considers that society affects individuals to choose to commit crimes. According to Social Learning Theory, juveniles learn to engage in crime in the same way they learn to engage in conforming behavior: through association with or exposure to

Deviance, criminal behavior and wrong doings; why do they occur? People don 't just wake up one morning and say "I 'm off from work today so why don 't I just go rob a bank". There has to be something in their past or present experiences that cause one to engage in criminal behavior. So what makes people commit crime and most importantly why do they fell they need to so? Criminologists have studied this question for many years and came up with so many different types of answers and theories. All these theories prevail their own unique reason for crime. Due to my interest in this question I also have been reading some theories and looking for a reason. However I

Further, it has been proven that all behaviours attributed to a single person are not learnt (Devshi, 2017). These limitations hence make it harder to identify the validity of Differential Association as an appropriate explanation for youth participation in criminal activities. Therefore, due to the inability to examine multiple factors affecting deviancy, the General Strain Theory would be a better predictor for youth crime.

Throughout the year the violent crime rate in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, has rapidly increased. Many others have tried to conclude why the crime rates are sky rocketing. My own conclusion on why violent crime rate in increasing is because of the strain on an individual. The strain theory fits this category as it explains more so the psychological side on why violent crime is committed from an individual. My proposal for the solution to decrease the violent crime rates is to have easy access facilities that individuals can reach out too. The strain on oneself can lead to them trying to escape the strain/stress and engaging in a violent crime. The strain theory allows for a better understanding on why individuals engage in acts of violent criminal

A major challenge that faces the criminal justice field today are youth gangs. Strain Theory is perhaps the best theoretical explanation of juvenile gang criminal activity. Agnew clarified strain as the “relationships in which others are not treating the individual as he or she would like to be treated.” (Tibbetts, 2015). Though this is the original definition,

The general strain theory of wrongdoing states strain or anxiety is an important source or criminal inspiration. For a superior comprehension, this theory contends that wrongdoing is a consequence of dissatisfaction and annoyance of lower class created by a strain in the middle of desires and society of living in a center class world and the truth that those desires can't be met. The general strain theory contracts more with the single person. Robert Agnew distinguished three sorts of strain that create deviation in an individual: failure to achieve goals, removal of positive stimuli, and confrontation with negative stimuli. Each type of strain theory improves the probability of people encountering with one or more aggressive

To thoroughly analyze the article written by Contenta et al. (2008), a social structure theorist’s perspective will be utilized to explain reasons for D’Souza continuous involvement in crime. Particularly, this theory will be discussed using its two subtypes: social disorganization theory and strain theory. Moreover, there will be discussion regarding how the concept of specific deterrence failed to divert D’Souza’s from criminal behaviour. Instead, incarceration seems to have increased his rate of recidivism, rather than helping to reduce his delinquency. As a result, his continuous engagement in illegal activities led to the unfortunate circumstance of being violently victimized, known as an equivalent group hypothesis (Siegel & McCormick,

The strain theory can prove many ways on why individuals feel the need to commit a crime because of stress. The strain theory was developed by Robert K. Merton with the help from other theorists branching off from the theory. The one theorist that had a great impact was Robert Agnew. David Polizzi proclaimed that “ Robert Agnew with his general strain theory has sought to introduce a variety of other factors relative to the experience of strain and the capacity they represent concerning subsequent criminal activity” (_______, 1051). Each theorist, like Agnew, has their own way of explaining the strain theory. The first conclusion of the strain theory is the removal of positively, the addition of negatively valued stimulus within the individual

Strain theory was derived from the work of Émile Durkheim and Robert Merton and taken from the theory of anomie. Durkheim focused on the decrease of societal limitation and the struggle every individual must face in life, and Merton studied the ethnic disproportion that exists between goals and individual customs and beliefs within a society. (AGNEW, 2001, p. 2) Anomie can be broken down into two categories. Category one is the macro-side of anomie, which is evident in the incapability of the general public to set boundaries on “life” goals but, regulate and dictate individual behavior, thoughts and actions. (AGNEW, 2001, p. 15) The micro-side of anomie, also known as strain theory, is focused on the reasons behind the increased likelihood of deviance that results from the breakdown of society. For example an individual’s personal upbringing can be the result of why they acted a certain way that would not be perceived as normal in most circumstances. According to this micro-side of anomie, the decrease in societal regulations creates an increase pressure to commit

However, Andrew Agnew was able to modify the strain theory into General strain theory and provided with a large number of empirical evidence as the problem with the original strain theory by Merton lacked empirical evidence. Agnew believe that there are other reasons why individuals break laws and create strain. He believed that strain theory needs to be broader by focusing on more than economic factor including “relationship in which others present the individual with noxious or negative stimuli” (pg 49). He also argues that youth are pressured into delinquency and anger plays the big role in that by having youth engage into a negative relationship which leads to anger. Agnew argued that there are three major types of strain theory “prevent

Strain theory is a criminological theory positing that a gap between culturally approved goals and legitimate means of achieving them cause’s frustration that leads to criminal behavior. Strain (structural strain) refers generally to the processes by which inadequate regulation at the societal level filters down to how individual perceives his or her needs. Strain (individual strain) refers to the frictions and pains experienced by the individuals as they look for ways to meet their needs (the motivational mechanism that causes crime). The Strain Theory is made up of anomie and social disorganization theories. The term anomie was initially used by Emily Durkheim, an originator of sociology to denote to a state of normlessness, a circumstance which endorses greater amounts of suicide. Robert Merton drew upon Durkheim’s notion of the work anomie in his Theory of Social Structure and Anomie. Merton’s concept suggests a rational elucidation of why most offenses are concentrated in lower-class inner-city areas. According to Merton, a stability of communal organization and culture are the mechanisms essential to creating a unified civilization. Anomie is the method in which societies faulty integration takes when there is severance of treasured cultural ends and legitimate societal means to those ends. (Akers, Seller 2009). Merton makes two arguments in regards to those ends and means. Argument number one states that America’s resilient social highlighting on achievement is

In 1938, Robert K. Merton came up with strain theory (Schmalleger, 2014). Strain theory states that social structure within the community can cause people to commit a crime (Schmalleger, 2014). Strain can lead to crime because it can be used as a coping mechanism because people can set a tough unrealistic goal that they cannot meet (Schmalleger, 2014). Having goals like wealth, status, and personal happiness are great to have but there are things a person must posses to have these such as an education, hard working and financial savings (Schmalleger, 2014). With these goals and not having these traits can increase strain on a human and they can change as a person (Schmalleger, 2014). Just like dropping out of school can be connected to strain because being academically to far behind can pressure a student to just take the easy route.