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. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 38, 319-361. General strain theory (GST) is the latest and broadest version of strain theory (Agnew, 2006). Unexpectedly, they observe that the females in their sample exhibit higher levels of anger and depression. Jang and Song (2015) observe that subjective strain fully mediates the impact of objective strain on the delinquency of middle-school students. Y. M. Cheng, Y. M. Cheng. You could not be signed in, please check and try again. Removal of valued stimuli. After reading the literature, policy implications for General Strain Theory become obvious. When legitimate coping strategies were either ineffective or unavailable, an individual was likely to adopt illegitimate coping strategies. They also find support for the interpersonal friction argument, noting that, in such schools, students in general (not just angry students) have an elevated risk of becoming involved in fights. Design/methodology/approach - A survey was developed and administered to 114 . The second major type of strain involves the presentation of noxious or negatively valued stimuli. According to Bernard (1990), angry/frustrated individuals often have difficulty trusting others, attribute hostile motives to strangers, and view aggression as appropriate or justifiable in many different circumstances (see also Agnew, 2006). These alternative links, however, have received less attention. GST argues that strain occurs when others (1) prevent or threaten to prevent you from achieving positively valued goals, (2) remove or threaten to remove positively valued stimuli that you possess, or (3) present or threaten to present you with . Such goals are especially important to young males and the inability to achieve these goals is thought to be an important source of strain. To advance research in this area, Agnew (2013) now recommends that quantitative studies be based on samples that contain a sizable number of individuals who possess a strong propensity to offend. Which of the following is a weakness of Mertons anomie theory? (Note: the work of Merton also suggests that strain contributes to anomie, or a sense that the traditional rules no longer apply. It analyses white-collar crime as well as its policing in more detail by using strain theory and the. Since General Strain Theory builds off the idea that blocked goals cause negative emotions such as anger, it should be emphasized that going to anger management is appropriate route to coping with stress rather than using alternative means such as beating someone up. Agnew cites that if in fact the previous theories were to be true, it would be expected that crime would occur when there would be there a strong desire for monetary success and a low expectation of fulfilling that desire (Agnew 1985). It has been suggested that, in response to strain, females are more likely to blame themselves or worry about possible harm to interpersonal relationships. These include strains that are high in magnitude (severe, frequent, of long duration, or involving matters of high importance to the individual), are seen as unjust and associated with low social control, and they can be readily resolved through crime. What are weaknesses of the strain theory? The first, conformity, Merton suggests that people who take this path subscribe to cultural goals and go about achieving these goals by using societys institutionalized means. The second path, innovation, suggests that when a person finds that an obstacle inhibits the ability to achieve the cultural goals, the person will not use institutionalized means; rather, they will employ other means. What are the limitations of Mertons strain theory? First, aggressive individuals have a propensity to interpret any given situation as frustrating and to blame others for their frustration. A measure of traditional strain, which indexed the respondents perceived chances of going to college and getting a good job, failed to exert a significant effect on future delinquency. In the face of strain that originates in families, schools, or neighborhoods, adolescents have fewer opportunities for legal coping. General strain theory (GST) (Agnew, 1992, 2001, 2006a) is an established criminological theory. General strain theory (GST) provides a unique explanation of crime and delinquency. In contrast, strains that involve accidents, illness, that are due to natural causes, or that are associated with prosocial activities are expected to have a weak relationship to offending (see also Felson, Osgood, Horney, & Wiernik, 2012). General Strain Theory has a greater theoretical sophistication than its traditional counterpart, not only in terms of specifying different types of strain but, most importantly, in recognizing the relationship between the individual and society is more-complex than that suggested by writers like Merton. This question would be answered yes by Robert Agnew and can be examined using his General Strain Theory which explores the causes strain, how to measure strain, the relationship between strain and crime, as well as policy implications based directly off his theory. *You can also browse our support articles here >. In particular, they often lack coping resources that are available to those in wealthier communities, such as money, power, and conventional social support. According to GST, negative emotionality/low constraint is partly of function of harsh or erratic parenting. Moreover, Froggio (2007), argues that surveys in the future should incorporate Agnews assumptions of when crime is most likely to occur. However, General Strain Theory fails to explain why some individuals who experience great amounts of strain fail to resort to illegitimate coping strategies. These negative emotions, in turn, are said to create pressures for corrective action, with crime or delinquency being one possible response. The initial statement of GST (Agnew, 1992), which constituted a more fully developed version of the revised theory, was published several years later under the title, Foundation for a General Strain Theory of Delinquency. This initial statement was followed by several revisions and extensions of GST, including articles that specified gender differences in response to strain (Broidy & Agnew, 1997), the macro-level implications of GST (Agnew, 1999), the types of strain that are most relevant to crime (Agnew, 2001), and that further specified the conditions under which strain will have a greater or lesser effect on crime (Agnew, 2013). Similar findings are reported by Jang and Song (2015) and Ousey, Wilcox, and Schreck (2015). In hindsight, these mixed results may not be surprising. Certain categories of youth may lack conventional sources of social support, especially young people who have poor relationships with their parents and teachers. Although this definition encompasses the types of strain highlighted by classic strain theorists, it also includes a wide array of stressors that were not considered in earlier versions of strain theory. The study measured eight different types of strains (i.e., racism, gender discrimination, and teachers' emotional punishment . The major versions of strain theory describe 1) the particular strains most likely to lead to crime, 2) why strains increase crime, and 3) the factors that lead a person to or dissuade a person from responding to strains with crime. 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. Although the theory appears to be logical and fits the criteria for being a good theory by what was learned in CRMJ 301, I have become a skeptic of the theory. The results of study were mixed, as this composite measure conditioned the impact of certain strains on delinquency but not others. The theory explains that it is the social structures that influence a person to commit a crime. For example, being bullied by peers on a frequent basis is a type of strain that is expected to have a relatively strong relationship to delinquency. Despite these positive results, most tests of GST have employed rather simple measures of strain. Females still get angry but may also have a high propensity to experience the emotions of depression and anxiety simultaneously. Aggressive children may also frustrate their peers and teachers, leading to social rejection. Furthermore, the high density of strained individuals in such communities is said to generate much interpersonal friction. In particular, rates of poverty and male joblessness predicted delinquent behavior in urban communities. Disadvantages. Robert King Merton in 1938 used the idea of anomie to help develop the foundation for strain theory. However, research on the conditioning effects of these factors has produced mixed results. For example, young people in poor inner-city communities experience high levels of family disruption, abuse and neglect, exposure to community violence, school problems, persistent poverty, unemployment, under-employment, and struggle to achieve goals related to money and status (Brezina & Agnew, 2013). Printed from Oxford Research Encyclopedias, Criminology and Criminal Justice. No plagiarism, guaranteed! Over the years of its development, strain theorists have attempted to broaden the initial scope of this perspective. According to the authors of this study, the differential impact of emotions across gender likely reflects cultural norms regarding the proper display of emotions. Assumptions of strain theory This theory is founded on the following assumptions: Planar Rings are utilized in all of the ring structures. In other neighborhoods, strained youth specialize in violent behavior or in money-oriented crimes. Most empirical tests of GST have been conducted in the United States and are based on data from adolescent surveys. Such traits are said to interfere with the development of strong attachments to conventional others and other stakes in conformity. This type of strain involves the loss of something valued and encompasses a wide range of undesirable events or experiences, such as the theft of valued property, the loss of a romantic relationship, or the withdrawal of parental love. At the same time, adolescents frequently encounter opportunities for delinquent coping, such as exposure to delinquent peers. Certain school-level measures (such as perceived fairness) predicted delinquency at the individual level, but others did not (such as school problems). However, these predictions were not supported. Using data from the 2008 Youth in Europe Survey, this study applies general strain theory of deviance to suicidal behaviors of Turkish adolescents. In addition, they observe that the combined effects of anger and depression have criminogenic consequences but in ways not predicted by GST. This test is important because it assessed the possibility of a reciprocal relationship between strain and delinquency. Strain predicted anger in both males and females, but it predicted depression in males only. Although certain strains may be universally stressful or frustrating (e.g., hunger, homelessness, physical pain), most strains have a subjective component. Strain theory has received several criticisms, such as: Strain theory best applies only to the lower class as they struggle with limited resources to obtain their goals. The results are generally supportive of GST. These mixed findings may reflect methodological challenges and the limitations of individual studies (see Mazerolle & Maahs, 2000). A particular adverse event may cause intense distress for some individuals but not others, depending on their beliefs, values, life situations, and the techniques at their disposal for minimizing the emotional or cognitive significance of the event (see Leban, Cardwell, Copes, & Brezina, 2016). Although the theory has been examined by many and enjoys empirical support, some limitations of previous studies need to be addr. A longitudinal test of the revised theory was also published (Agnew, 1989). If your specific country is not listed, please select the UK version of the site, as this is best suited to international visitors. Merton (1938) illustrates four responses to this strain. To address the mixed body of results produced by empirical studies, Agnew (2013) has further specified the conditions under which a deviant response to strain is more or less likely. Furthering Mertons ideas in 1994, Messer and Rosenfeld expanded on idea of the American Dream as an origin of criminality. Explains only utilitarian crime, ignoring reasons for non utilitarian crime. Merton observed that, in the United States, the cultural ethos of the American Dream encourages all individuals, regardless of circumstance, to strive for personal success, with an emphasis on the accumulation of monetary wealth. For instance, different types of strain may have distinct emotional consequences, leading to distinct behavior outcomes (Ganem, 2010). 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. 9 Why was the strain theory important in the 1940s? Much of the test results conducted between 1992 and 2003 confirms that correlation exists between stressful events, strain induced anger, and criminal activity. The existence of unpleasant stimuli can lead to delinquent behavior through the following avenue: Agnew (1992) states that a person may seek an escape from the negative stimuli, by trying to dispose of the stimuli. 1 What are weaknesses of the strain theory? Emile Durkheim first popularized the term anomie, which essentially is defined normlessness, or the instability that occurs when norms and cultural values breakdown. Second, certain data suggest that the response to strain is gendered, with males being more likely to cope with strain in a criminal or delinquent manner. Many previous studies rely heavily on samples from Western countries, mostly the United States; thus, possible cultural influences are ignored. 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). Agnews strain theory is focused on the individual level and their immediate social environment (Agnew 1992:48). Given the complexity of the coping process, he now argues that a single factor examined in isolationsuch as social support or association with delinquent peersis not likely, by itself, to shape the likelihood of deviant coping. 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. All produce negative emotional states/feelings. To make strain theory more applicable to juvenile delinquency, Cohen offered a revised version of the theory, which placed less emphasis on monetary success. Robert Merton (1938) offered the first modern version of strain theory, which attempted to explain social class differences in offending. Google Scholar. Agnew (1992), however, argues that other types of goal blockage are important and may have a stronger relationship to crime and delinquency. 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. These negative emotions, in turn, are said to create pressures for corrective action, with crime or delinquency being one possible response. This anger and frustration is thought to be an important source of deviant motivation and is said to be a function of severe and persistent strains. In comparison to their female counterparts, angry and depressed males are more likely to engage in delinquency because the outward expression of anger and depression is consistent with masculinity norms. Thus any deviation from this value would result in an internal strain in the molecule. General Strain Theory by definition is a logically sound theory, as it is not tautological, and can clearly be falsified. After all, aspirations typically involve ideal goals or outcomes and are somewhat utopian in character. Robert Agnew, who devised a revision to previous strain theories, argued that most of the previous theories accredit crime to the failure of adolescents to accomplish traditional goals defined by society through legitimate avenues (Agnew 1985). Second, neighborhood-level strain exerted a significant effect on violence in communities characterized by a low level of social support. According to general strain theory (introduced by Robert Agnew in 1992), strain triggered negative emotions, which in turn necessitated coping. In the longitudinal analyses, however, strain did not predict drug use (although the effect was significant in cross-sectional analyses). The fourth, is the polar opposite of the path of conformity such that a person who is retreatist will reject cultural goals and its institutionalized means, people that take this path are people who essentially are not part of society (Merton 1938: 674). Robert Agnew developed the general strain theory, sometimes referred to as GST, in 1992. Stress can be influenced by a variety of factors however, whether it is accumulation of wealth, death of a friend, or perhaps loss of job. 6 How does the strain theory explain crime? Measures of individual-level strain, however, exerted significant effects on delinquent behavior. In addition, GST predicts that individuals who possess this trait will tend to provoke negative reactions from others, leading to elevated levels of strain. GST was designed primarily to explain why individuals differ in their levels of crime and delinquency. Disadvantages. Further, the association between strain and future offending appears to be especially strong for individuals who possess an angry disposition. Looking for a flexible role? Other studies, however, fail to observe the predicted conditioning effects (e.g., Hoffmann & Miller, 1998; Mazerolle & Piquero, 1997; for an overview, see, Agnew, 2006). Strained individuals may resort to crime or delinquency because it allows them to address the source of strain or because it allows them to alleviate the negative emotions that tend to accompany strain (even though criminal or delinquent responses may cause more problems in the long run). Mertons explanation of crime emphasized the utilitarian, goal-oriented nature of deviant adaptations. 3 What is the assumption of strain theories? To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! It is important to explain this pattern of offending, as such offenders commit a disproportionate share of serious crime. One of the major criticisms is the fact that the strain theory is based on weak empirical support. Are people more likely to commit crime when stressed? Research indicates that most of these strains are related to crime (for an overview, see Agnew, 2006). According to recent stressor inventories, hundreds of distinct strains fit into GST's key strain categories. Agnew (1992): General Strain Theory. It also increases the likelihood that angry and frustrated individuals will encounter each other, contributing to elevated rates of crime and violence (Agnew, 1999). Agnew (1992) argues that the key emotion associated with General Strain theory is anger. For example, in empirical tests, the experience of strain or goal-blockage did not prove to be a strong predictor of delinquency. Three types of strain. An example of removing stimuli could be someone shooting up a school because they were bullied, thus terminating the negative stimuli. Agnew described 4 characteristics of strains that are most likely to lead to crime: 1) strains are seen as unjust, 2) strains are seen as high in magnitude, 3) strains are associated with low social control, and 4) strains create some pressure or incentive to engage in criminal coping. Foundation for a general strain theory of delinquency and crime. At least some of the strains listed in the preceding paragraph have been the focus of other criminological theories because they are thought to be associated with low social control (e.g., negative school experiences) or the social learning of crime (e.g., exposure to abuse or harsh physical punishment). In his General Strain Theory, Agnew (2013) suggests that individuals engage in rule-breaking behaviors when they (1) dislike their unjust and involuntary conditions, (2) develop negative. For example, in some neighborhoods, delinquent gangs are said to cope with goal blockage by retreating into drug use. Copyright 2003 - 2023 - UKEssays is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. They are (1) strain as the disjunction between expectations and actual achievements; not achieving these goals is likely to cause anger, dissatisfaction, and disappointment, this cause of strain connects back to previous strain theories, such as Mertons (Agnew 1992:51). Among females, depression does not alter the effect of anger. Yet Agnew (1999) argues that processes related to social psychological strain can be used to explain patterns of crime appearing at the level of schools, neighborhoods, and larger communities. The American dream is a popular culturally defined goal, Merton argued, which through honest-dedicated work, anyone can achieve this dream of wealth. This book provides a useful summary of GST, although it no longer reflects the latest developments in the formulation or testing of the theory. GST has been partly successful in overcoming these limitations. They do so by creating their own alternative status system, which emphasizes goals they can readily achieve, such as toughness and fighting prowess. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Weaknesses One weakness of the strain theory is that it does only focus on the middle and lower classes of society. Put a "charge" into people, motivate . Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. In addition, Agnew (2006, 2013) recommends that future studies make an effort to measure the overall standing of individuals on dimensions related to deviant coping, including overall availability of coping resources, total opportunities for legal coping, and general disposition to crime. They also face much class and racial/ethnic discrimination, including negative experiences with the police and other representatives of the larger society (see Bernard, 1990). Although difficult, equalizing the opportunity for all to become successful would prove to be effective based on the assumptions of strain theories. Strain theory fails to explain white collar crime, the perpetrator of whom have many opportunities to achieve through legal and legitimate means. In particular, strain appears to reduce social control and increase involvement with delinquent peers, thereby resulting in elevated rates of offending (see also Brezina, 1998). 10 Why do people turn to crime in the strain theory? Agnews Theory state that strains are shaped by various factors, including the nature, intensity, and duration of the strain, the emotions that the strain produces in the individual, the collection of coping mechanisms at an individuals disposal (Broidy 2001:10). By measuring these factors, primarily intensity and duration of strain, General Strain Theory can be empirically tested by criminologists. 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