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Strain Theory And Crime Essay

1651 Words7 Pages

Bryan Egan
CRJ - 310 - 170
Assignment 6

Q - Explain the Theory of Delinquency and Opportunity.
How does it relate to crime in lower class society?
What does it say in the formation and actions of gangs in the community? A - The Theory of Delinquency and Opportunity is a criminological theory that suggests that delinquent behavior is a result of the intersection between an individual's predisposition towards deviance and the opportunities for that deviance that are available in their environment.
According to this theory, lower-class individuals are more likely to engage in criminal behavior because they have fewer legitimate opportunities available to them to achieve success and material wealth. This lack of opportunities can lead to …show more content…

Individuals who experience these negative events may also turn to criminal behavior as a coping mechanism.
Criminal motivation is closely related to strain theory. When individuals experience strain, they may feel a sense of frustration, anger, and injustice. These emotions can lead to criminal behavior as a way to express their dissatisfaction or as a way to cope with the negative feelings.
The concept of anomie, or normlessness, is central to strain theory. Anomie occurs when there is a breakdown of social norms and values, which can lead to feelings of confusion, uncertainty, and anxiety. According to strain theory, anomie can be a catalyst for criminal behavior because individuals may feel that there are no legitimate means available to achieve their goals.
The American Dream is also central to strain theory. The American Dream emphasizes the idea that anyone can achieve success through hard work and perseverance. However, strain theory suggests that not everyone has equal access to the means to achieve the American Dream. Those who are unable to achieve the American Dream may experience strain, which can lead to criminal behavior as a way to achieve their …show more content…

Durkheim argued that crime is a normal and necessary part of any society, as it serves to reinforce social norms and boundaries, and can also spur social change. Durkheim believed that the level of crime in a society was an indication of the health of that society, and that low levels of crime could be a sign of social stagnation.
Sociological criminology is an approach to the study of crime that emphasizes the role of social structures and social processes in the development of criminal behavior. Sociological criminologists argue that crime is not solely the result of individual pathology or moral failing, but is rather the product of social factors such as poverty, inequality, social disorganization, and cultural

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An example of the factor of strain theory is that it would be if an adolescent loses a part in a play because the main characters are a different race even if the teenager was the better actor. In this example, the adolescent experienced a loss of positive stimuli and the adolescent might feel a great amount of strain and believe the only way to get rid of stress is to release their stress into a delinquent act. The loss of positive stimuli can really affect juveniles especially if they do not know how to deal with the loss in a legal way. Also according to strain theorists, before losing positive stimuli the juvenile might try to find ways to prevent losing the positive stimuli. This component of strain theory could lead to revenge on the cause of the loss of stimuli or drug use to eliminate the stress.

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There are many theories that suggest that crime is constructed socially, or is a product of the society in which the crime is committed. One such theory, proposed by Robert Merton, is known as strain theory. While strain theory is a useful model for explaining how societal values can drive people to commit crimes, it has several flaws and does not focus on how laws are made and how this contributes to the formation of crime. While Merton suggests that laws are created from consensus within a society, it will be argued that strain theory can also support the idea that laws are a “product of conflict” (Hagan 5). Strain theory is founded on the idea that the goals of a society and the accepted means of achieving said goal causes strain that can

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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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Additionally, crimes that are considered as being white collar, in which they are known in our middle and upper-classes. The General Strain Theory Robert Agnew proposed and formulated the general strain theory. Agnew’s general strain theory primarily focuses on the micro-level definitions of crime and the relationship it has with delinquency. By doing this, Robert Agnew made a notation of the effects that a person 's social environment and the position it plays in the determination of crime.

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