According the GST, the trait of aggressiveness helps to fuel persistent antisocial behavior for at least three reasons. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? Recent research, how-ever, has been critical of strain theory or, at best, has provided only mixed support for the theory. GST represents a revision and extension of prior strain theories, including the classic strain theories of Merton (1938), Cohen (1955), and Cloward and Ohlin (1960). Drawing on the stress literature, Agnew (2006) broadened the definition of strain to include events or conditions that are disliked by individuals (p. 4). Although crime and delinquency may occur in response to other negative emotions, anger is somewhat unique in that it tends to occur when strain is blamed on others. Explains that agnew's general strain theory looks at factors that increase the likelihood of people cutting with strange through crime, such as poor coping skills and resources, low levels of conventional social support, beliefs favorable to crime and membership in delinquent peer groups. This type of strain is likely to be experienced as highly noxious and is likely to generate anger and desires for revenge. Readers may also be interested in a book chapter titled, Controlling Delinquency: Recommendations from General Strain Theory (Agnew, 1995b), which provides an in-depth discussion of the policy implications of GST. Likewise, a study by Hoffmann and Ireland (2004) produced mixed results regarding the impact of school-context variables on delinquency. 8 What are the strengths and weaknesses of Mertons strain theory? Following the initial statement of GST (Agnew, 1992), Agnew (2001) further specified the theory and identified those strains that are said to be most relevant to offending. Under certain conditions, however, criminal or delinquent responses to strain are more likely to occur. These findings support previous theoretical arguments that linked angry arousal to cognitive processes that promote aggression. In contrast to control and learning theories, GST focuses explicitly on negative treatment by others and is the only major theory of crime and delinquency to highlight the role of negative emotions in the etiology of offending. What are the 5 reactions to strain? And initial research suggests that the application of GST to other areas of scholarly inquiry is likely to be fruitful, including, for example, research on racial/ethnic differences in crime (Brezina & Agnew, 2013; Kaufman, Rebellon, Thaxton, & Agnew, 2008) and terrorism (Agnew, 2010). These articles provide researchers with many helpful suggestions for testing GST. He referred to such deviance as innovation while identifying the other responses to strain as conformity, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion. idea and it is not surprising that strain theory has had a major impact on delinquency research and public policy (Liska,b). Moreover, many studiesespecially those focusing on aggressionfind that the effect of strain is partly mediated by anger. For example, in some neighborhoods, delinquent gangs are said to cope with goal blockage by retreating into drug use. They generally have less control over their lives, having difficulty removing themselves from adverse environments, and have fewer opportunities for legal coping, given poor schools and limited job opportunities. In other neighborhoods, strained youth specialize in violent behavior or in money-oriented crimes. In particular, large segments of the population internalize the American Dream ethos but lack the legal or legitimate means to attain monetary wealth, which contributes to goal blockage and frustration (see Agnew, 1987). Consistent with GST, Brezina et al. Also found in this study was that females were much less likely to employ illegitimate coping strategies than males, leading Broidy to suggest that future studies of general strain theory should study the effect that gender has on assumptions described in general strain theory. What are the limitations of Mertons strain theory? These differences, in turn, are linked to the gender gap in delinquent involvement. LIMITATION: Because GST is so diverse, researchers are unsure which strains to study. Agnew, R. (1992). (Broidy 2001:). According to GST, however, the primary reason these strains are related to crime and delinquency is because they increase the likelihood that individuals will experience negative emotions, such as anger, resentment, anxiety, and depression. Mertons strain theory is an important contribution to the study of crime and deviance in the 1940s it helped to explain why crime continued to exist in countries, such as America, which were experiencing increasing economic growth and wealth. Summary. Over the long run, however, delinquent responses to strain are likely to exacerbate problems with parents, teachers, and conventional peers. General strain theory (GST) provides a unique explanation of crime and delinquency. GST offers a similar explanation of life-course-persistent offending but focuses special attention on the trait of aggressiveness (Agnew, 1997). General Strain Theory by definition is a logically sound theory, as it is not tautological, and can clearly be falsified. Rather, deviant responses to strain are most likely when multiple factors converge: The choice of a coping strategy such as crime is likely influenced by the convergence of several factors, including the characteristics of the individual, the characteristics of the stressor, the appraisal of the stressor, and the circumstances surrounding the stressor (Agnew, 2013, p. 660). Removal of valued stimuli. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! Why was the strain theory important in the 1940s? Further, certain data indicate that adolescents may resort to delinquency because it allows them to alleviate the negative emotional consequences of strain, at least in the short run (Brezina, 1996, 2000; Novacek, Raskin, & Hogan, 1991). However, Froggio (2007) argues that despite evidence of correlation between delinquency and assumptions of General Strain Theory, the correlation is not clear cut in that many of the surveys conducted were limited. GST, then, is distinguished from other criminological theories by the central role it assigns to negative emotions in the etiology of offending (Agnew, 1995a). Cloward and Ohlin (1960) were also interested in the subcultural adaptions of juvenile gangs. This outcome could reflect the different populations that have been sampled across studies, which include adolescents in the general population, justice-involved youth, and adults. Criminology, 39, 9-36 . Merton argues that the struggle to accumulate wealth is the chief cause of strain (Merton 1938: 670). Over time, strain theories came under attack for their failure to adequately explain why only some strained individuals resort to crime, for their failure to explain offending by middle-class individuals, for their neglect of goals other than monetary success or middle-class status, and for their lack of empirical support. These strains may involve one-time events, are not likely to be blamed on others, are not easily resolved by engaging in crime, and thus generate little pressure for criminal coping. First, they argue that the gender gap in crime is related, in part, to the different types of strain that are experienced by males and females. . According to social disorganization theories, these communities have the lost the ability to control their members due, in part, to the inadequate supervision of young people (e.g., Sampson, Raudenbush, & Earls, 1997). In hindsight, these mixed results may not be surprising. This can lead to strain due to inequity, where an individual will feel that they are unequal to those of their peers and will subsequently increase the chances they engage in delinquency. For example, females are subject to higher levels of parental supervision, have higher levels of commitment to family and school, and are less likely to associate with delinquent peers. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. Agnew (1992) identifies three major sources of strain, being, the prevention or blockage of achieving positively valued goals, the removal of positively valued stimuli, and the threat or presentation of negatively valued stimuli. Strain theory is a sociology and criminology theory developed in 1938 by Robert K. Merton. It should be noted that, in GST, the goals and outcomes that are important to individuals are no longer limited to income or middle-class status. In another early test of GST, Paternoster and Mazerolle (1994) used data from the National Youth Survey to examine the effect of strain on a measure of general delinquency. For example, females are more likely than males to react to academic problems with anger and depression. Purpose - The study aims to explore specific motivations, rationalizations and opportunities that are involved in the occurrences of both employee and management fraud in the context of an emerging African country, Tanzania. GST, then, greatly expands the notion of goal-blockage and recognizes that individuals pursue a variety of goals beyond economic success or middle-class status. It is important to recognize that GST is an evolving theoretical framework. These chronic, high-rate offenders typically exhibit highly aggressive behavior as young children, engage in high levels of delinquency during adolescence, and persist in serious offending as they grow older (Moffitt, 1993). To cope with this frustration, status-frustrated boys tend to band together and rebel against middle-class expectations. Instead, an attempt is made to highlight areas of research that speak to the overall validity of GST, that point to important problems or issues in the specification of the theory, or that suggest new directions for the future development of the theory. Using longitudinal data on South Korean youth, the authors addressed limitations of previous tests of general strain theory (GST), focusing on the relationships among key strains, situational- and trait-based negative emotions, conditioning factors, and delinquency. Gang fights, vandalism, and other such delinquencies do not seem to be directed toward the achievement of conventional success goals. Broidy (2001) asserts that by testing the theory with most middle-class, white college age students, it ensures that the results of the test are not spurious.. First, aggressive individuals have a propensity to interpret any given situation as frustrating and to blame others for their frustration. It may also foster beliefs favorable to crime (e.g., the belief that crime is justified), increase the appeal of delinquent peer groups (such groups may be seen as a solution to strain), and contribute to certain traits that are conducive to crime, such as negative emotionality and low self-control (Agnew, 2006; Agnew, Brezina, Wright, & Cullen, 2002). Numerous additional tests of GST have produced similar results, indicating a relationship between various strains and offending behavior (for an overview, see Agnew 2006). According to Agnew (2001) studies show that delinquency peaks when desires, goals, and the expectation of achieving the desires or goals are low, and delinquency is lowest when desires, goals and the expectation of accomplishing the goals are high(Agnew 2001:). 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