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General Strain Theory Paper

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This paper explores the criminal behavior of Ted Bundy through the lens of General Strain Theory and Routine Activities Theory. By analyzing Bundy's background and modus operandi, it elucidates how environmental factors, personal motivations, and coping mechanisms intersect to drive his heinous acts. The findings underscore the significance of criminological theories in understanding complex cases of serial murder and highlight the importance of addressing both individual and situational factors in crime prevention efforts. In the annals of criminal history, few names evoke as much intrigue, revulsion, and morbid fascination as that of Ted Bundy. With his charming demeanor and handsome appearance, Bundy defied the stereotypical image of a serial killer, masking his sinister intentions behind a façade of normalcy. Yet, beneath this veneer …show more content…

The core components of General Strain Theory include the experience of strain, the resulting negative emotions, and the coping mechanisms individuals employ to address these emotions. Stress represents the various challenges and obstacles individuals face in their lives, while negative emotions serve as the psychological responses to these stressors. Coping mechanisms encompass the strategies individuals use to cope with or alleviate their negative emotions, with criminal behavior being one potential response. In applying General Strain Theory to Ted Bundy's crimes, we can delve into his background and psychological profile to understand how the experience of strain may have influenced his descent into serial murder. Bundy's early life was marked by a series of challenges and disruptions, including the revelation that his grandparents, whom he believed to be his parents, were, in fact, his biological parents, while his mother was portrayed as his

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Within the past couple of decades, criminologists have developed different criminological theories that apply to the social behaviors and decisions of criminals. One of the earliest theories developed regarding criminality is the rational choice theory, in which describes the rationalization of determining if the rewards from committing the crime outweigh the consequences. In Scarver’s case, his decision to engage in criminal activities outweighed the potential consequences, or the other alternatives if he did not engage in such criminal activities. In addition to the rational choice theory, Scarver’s criminality can be related to the social disorganization theory, which describes the influence of one’s social and physical environment on one’s decision to commit a crime. Lastly, the strain theory can be related to Scarver’s criminality as well, as it is used to describe an individual who lacks the means to obtain such goals, and aspirations, so therefore, he or she engages in criminal activities to acquire the goals.

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Abstract Agnew’s general strain theory (1992) and Bandura’s social learning model (1997) can associate a serial killer’s upbringing and learned environment with the development of antisocial behaviors and mental disorders. Richard Ramirez was an infamous serial killer who carried many titles: child predator, rapist, sodomist, and Satanist. His deranged past and abusive experiences have a large impact on Ramirez’s psychopathy and gruesome actions that later led to his death row sentencing. Keywords: Richard Ramirez, antisocial behavior, psychopathy, general strain theory,

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The general strain theory is a theory constructed by Robert Agnew. It states that violence; particularly criminal violence, is the result of straining emotions such as depression, frustration, and anger. These emotional strains arise from one of four sources: negative stimuli, removal of positive stimuli, shortcomings, and failure to achieve goals (Fox et al. 34). For Bundy, finding out that the woman who he believed to be his sister growing up was his mother was negative stimuli cognitively. He was in a sense hidden and probably felt a tinge of shame and rejection from his own mother.

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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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From the macrosociological perspective and applying strain theory, his difficulty achieving and attaining typical cultural goals of his time left him otherwise unbound by them, and with alcohol to escape into, didn’t feel the pressures of society to complete them. This lack of pressure left the door to deviance wide open, and allowed him to murder 17 men and rape many more. Utilizing the microsociological perspective via control theory, the lack of external forces in his life through borderline neglectful parents, superficial connection to peers, and no fear of prosecution for his crimes, in addition to a lack of self-control. Of course, these factors weren’t apparent as these events were occurring, and no specific cause or traits can be attributed exclusively to serial killers, but using the sociological perspective can at least help explain why these atrocious crimes

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