Stress and subsequent aggression may also be induced due to perceptions of injustice in the workplace. As stated earlier, Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory argues that strain is a cause of criminal behavior. He expands upon Robert Merton’s Anomie Theory to include several causes of strain. His categories of strain that produce deviance are, the failure to achieve positively valued goals, the loss of positive encouragement, and the introduction of negative stimuli. Simply put, when people are treated poorly, they may become upset and resort to criminal behavior. Strain theories expand on this idea by describing the types of negative treatment likely to result in crime, why negative treatment increases the possibility of crime, and why some people are more likely than others to react to negative treatment with crime.
The strain likely to lead to crime are perceived as unjust, and associated with low social control. They create some pressure or incentive for crime. In Patrick Sherrill’s case, the incentive for crime comes from his rejection by supervisors, harsh discipline he receives, and the chronic unemployment or under-employment of his past. The strain leads to negative emotions, mainly anger and frustration, which create pressure for corrective action. The corrective action for Sherrill is violence resulting
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One way to control workplace violence is to reduce the exposure of individuals to strain, this will possibly reduce the chances that individuals will cope with strain through crime or violence. Individuals sometimes provoke negative treatment from others, including employers. This is especially true when individuals are low in restraint and high in negativity. Professionals can teach individuals skills on how to avoid strain. By providing individuals with the tools to help them react appropriately, they will better manage their