Week 8 - General Strain Theory

Agnew’s GST

A micro explanation that looks at individual types of strain

• Strain - applied to a diversity of contexts and crimes

• Strain + Variable = Crime

GENERAL THEORY, allows us to accout for different context

GST vs. Classical Strain

Agnew states that anything negative can generate strain (stress and frustration)

• Any context where people experience something bad

DOESN’T ASSUME A SHARED SET OF CULTURAL GOALS

Agnew’s Definition of Strain

a reaction to a perceived negative aspect to one’s social environment

3 Sources of strain

1. Failure to achieve valued goals

• Anything important to the individual (e.x. status, money)

2. Actual / anticipated removal of positive stimuli

• e.x. Loss of job, death of loved one, etc

3. Actual or anticipated presentation of negative stimuli

• e.x. Bullying, peer pressure, etc

All these sourecs of strain increase the likelihood of criminal response

• Magnitude, duration, and recency also determine a response

Objective Strains

Conditions disliked by most people

• May be external experiences

• e.x. abuse, loss of jobs, failing shit

Subjective Strains

Subjective evaluations of objective strains or conditions disliked by the people experiencing them

• Different people react to different situations

• People cope with objective strains individually,

  • e.x. Two people failed an exam - one deteriorates mentally, other doesnt GAF

Sheer number of sources of strain means…

Which strains are more criminogenic?

• Strains most likely to lead to crime

• e.x. why is the strain of parental death less likely to evoke a criminal response rather than loss of a romantic partner?

4 Factors increasing the likelihood of strain

Strain is…

1. High in magnitude - high in centrality that threatens a person’s identity

2. Seen as unjust

3. Caused by low social control - e.x. people with nothing to lose

4. Creates pressure to engage in criminal coping

Factors that diminish risk of criminal adaptation (variables)

Substitute goals

• Equal goal that is equivalent to the one constrained by strain

  • e.x. didn’t finish uni, but a good job

Individual Coping Resources

• High confidence, reasonability

Social Supports

Personal values/fears

• e.x. high morals, don’t wanna do illegal

Factors that Increase Risk of Criminal Adaptation (variables)

Low Self Control

Antisocial Beliefs

Blaming Others

Role of Emotions in GST

Anger - entices people into action

• Strain + Anger = crime

• Negative emotions creates pressure for action

Same level of subjective strain can result in different emotional reaction

Women - experience anger alongside guilty and anxiety

Men - experience anger with aggression

Contributions of GST

Explains crime Merton can’t

• Crime as more evenly distributed instead of exclusive to the poor

• Incorporates individual emotional responses

Different types of strains, experiences, and coping mechanisms ——→ accounts for non-poor people

Criticisms of GST

Vague, hard to measure

Neglects structural and macro-level factors

• e.x. Environmental conditions people live in

• e.x. Doesn’t account for marginalized communities having a lesser chance of achieving goals

Limited scope for explaining certain crimes

Elliot Rodger Case example

Had experienced an unachievement of a valued goal, addition of a negative stimuli, and removal of a positive stimuli

Saw himself as unjustly deprived - “Why not me? I deserve it!”

GST Explanation to Elliot Rodger

Blocked Aspirations / Unachievement of Goal

• Romance —→ Anger ——> Desire for Revenge

• This strain source was high in magnitude, and long, with romantic rejections occuring recentrecently

• Blamed others, was antisocial

Loss of positive StimuiStimuli

• Parents divorced, would go betwen houses

• Father was absent when younger, basic needs not met

Exposure to negative stimuli

• Bullied in childhood

• Romantic rejection reinforced hatred

• Physical/Emotional abuse

• Symbolic triggers such as seeing couples evokes rage

Unfulfilled goals (romance) + loss of support (isolation) + exposure to negative stimuli (bullying) + variable of anger and aggression = Crime

• Online incel pages fueled the variable of anger

Rodger’s Strain / Coping Mechanisms

Viewed his strain as:

• The cause of others

• Blame orientation

• Justified for violence

He lacked positive coping skills, and negative coping was reinforced by incel forums

• Absence of prosocial coping + presence of antisocial coping = violence

Policy implications of GST

Reduce the exposure to negative strain

• Help young people develop good emotional coping

• Establish legitimate support

Programs include:

• Early intervention / anti-bullying programs

• Behavioral therapy

• Family support

• Socioeconomic support