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General Strain Theory

1032 Words5 Pages

Historical and intellectual background of theory While there are many criminological theories, a theory most interesting would be general strain theory. General strain theory has been revised by multiple different theorists. Robert Agnew’s version of general strain theory discusses strain specifically in individuals. Strain in individuals leads to negative relationships amongst the youth and adolescent teens. Robert Agnew’s general strain theory was introduced back in 1992, as a way to define social relationships and delinquent state of mind (Agnew, 1992). The background of general strain theory is that the previous version was based on valued goals. Robert Agnew decided that strain was a negative relationship with negative emotions …show more content…

These types of strains provide the background of an individual experiencing negative emotions. Since negative emotions lead to crime, this lays the ground work for negative emotions leading to delinquency. There are four characteristics of general strain that are mentioned in various articles. In Moon, Burton, and McCluskey (2008), the four characteristics that were mentioned are unjust, high in magnitude, low social control, and coping strategies. These four characteristics are seen to lead to delinquent behaviors. There are also two types of negative emotions that are discussed as situational based anger and trait based anger. Casual arguments that were used discussed the basis of crime and delinquency and how negative relationships are portrayed. While crime leads to delinquency, there are areas that stand out more than others. The effects on negative relationships and where they begin have branched from the characteristics and types of general strain theory. Description and analyzing of …show more content…

Negative relationships can be between family members, friends, society, and even domestic. When being removed from a domestic relationship, there tends to be retaliation. Adolescents then turn to drugs to cope with the negative emotions. Drugs in today’s society have escalated into opioids and heroin, which has caused high numbers of overdoses. This then becomes another issue in itself. The use of marijuana is still a drug used widely. In Aseltine, Gore, and Gordon (2000), it is discussed that the use of marijuana depends on the social and personal aspects of the

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His areas of study are Juvenile delinquency, Youth violence and Criminological theory. The main argument of the source is that General strain theory provides and explanation of crime and delinquency and that it is the latest and broadest form of strain theory. General Strain Theory represents a revision and extension of prior strain theories. “General strain theory is distinguished from other criminological theories by the central role it assigns to negative emotions in the etiology of offending. It is also distinguished by the emphasis it places on particular strains, especially strains involving negative social relations “ (Brezina, 2018).

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In 1985 Robert Agnew a sociologist come to an interest of studying the theory and finds a potential for the theory in explaining several causes of crime in society, but due to its limitation he developed and reformulated the theory to widen its dimension or scope. After revising the theory he come up into General strain theory of crime and builds its foundation in 1992. General strain theory argues that frustrations and anger leads someone to deviance and may result into committing a crime (Agnew, 1992). GST defines strains as negative life events and conditions which are commonly disliked by the people who experience it or negative experiences of a person in a given group (Agnew, 1992; 2001; 2006). Strain is often classified in two distinct types, the Objective Strain and the Subjective Strain.

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