General strain theory

General strain theory is a theory of criminology developed by Robert Agnew. Robert Agnew's general strain theory is considered to be a solid theory, and has accumulated a significant amount of empirical evidence, and has also expanded its primary scope by offering explanations of phenomena outside of criminal behavior.

Agnew recognized that strain theory originally put forward by Robert King Merton was limited in terms of fully conceptualizing the range of possible sources of strain in society, especially among youth. According to Merton, innovation occurs when society emphasizes socially desirable and approved goals but at the same time provides inadequate opportunity to achieve these goals with the legitimate institutionalized means. In other words those members of society, who find themselves in a position of financial strain yet wish to achieve material success, resort to crime in order to achieve socially desirable goals. Agnew supports this assumption but he also believes dealing with youth there are other factors that incite criminal behaviour. He suggests that negative experiences can lead to stress not only that are financially induced.

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.

The inability to achieve positively valued goals

The removal of, or threat to remove, positively valued stimuli

To present a threat to one with noxious or negatively valued stimuli

In an attempt to explain the high rate of male delinquency as compared to female delinquency, Agnew and Broidy analyzed the gender differences between the perception of strain and the responses to strain. The first area that was explored was the amount of strain that each gender experiences. According to stress research that Agnew and Broidy complied, females tend to experience as much or more strain than males. Also, females tend to be higher in subjective strain as well. Since females experience more strain and commit less crime, Agnew and Broidy investigated the different types of strain that males and females experience. Their findings are listed below:

Source: O Grady

Agnew and Broidy next hypothesized that there may be differences not only in the types of strain, but in the emotional response to strain as well:

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