How does strain theory explain criminal behavior

Overall, criminal behavior serves a purpose — to escape strain, stress, or pressure. Every one feels stress and each of us copes with stress, pressure, or shame differently. Shame can motivate us to change for the better. For example, if you did poorly on an exam, you may start to study better. When you feel stress, what do you do? When I ask students how they deal with stress, many go for a run or a walk, lift weights, cry, talk, or eat ice cream. These are healthy maybe not ice cream eating and pro-social coping mechanism.

When I feel stress I write. Often, I write nasty emails and then delete them. Fortunately, I have never accidently sent one. Skip to content Strain theories assume people will commit crime because of strain, stress, or pressure. Retreatism — — V. Merton, R. Social structure and anomie. American Sociological Review, 3. Delinquent boys: The culture of the gang.

Delinquency and opportunity: A theory of delinquent gangs. Glencoe, IL: Free Press. Pressured into crime: An overview of general strain. Previous: 5. The Chicago School. Next: 5. Lastly, rebellion applies to people who reject and replace culturally valued goals and the socially sanctioned ways of achieving them. In the U. Education and hard work may help Americans to achieve middle- or upper-class status, but not everyone has access to quality schools or employment. Class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and cultural capital influence a person's likelihood of climbing the socioeconomic ladder.

Those who find themselves unable to increase their class standing feel a strain that may result in them engaging in deviant behavior such as theft, embezzlement, or selling goods on the black market to achieve wealth. People marginalized by racism and classism are most likely to experience strain because they have the same goals as their fellow Americans but find their opportunities limited in a society rife with systemic inequalities. These individuals may, therefore, be more likely to turn to unsanctioned methods to achieve economic success, though plenty of so-called "white-collar crime" routinely takes place in the U.

This form of crime refers to the misdeeds of the economically privileged, such as a corporate executive committing fraud or engaging in insider trading on the stock market. The discussion of strain theory extends beyond crimes of acquisition. One could also frame the Black Lives Matter movement and protests against police violence as examples of strain-induced rebellion. African Americans currently and historically have demonstrated against social injustice to get lawmakers to enact legislation that more evenly distributes the country's resources.

Economic empowerment is one of the goals of affirmative action and laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, disability, etc.

Sociologists have used strain theory to explain deviant behaviors related to acquisition and to support research that links social-structural conditions to culturally valued goals. In this regard, many find Merton's theory valuable and useful. Some sociologists, however, question his concept of "deviance," arguing that deviance is a social construct. Those who engage in illicit behavior to obtain economic success may simply be partaking in normal behaviors for individuals in their circumstances.

Given this, critics of strain theory argue that characterizing crimes of acquisition as deviant may lead to policies that seek to control people rather than make society more equitable.

Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Agnew, Robert, and Timothy Brezina. Strain theories. In Sage handbook of criminological theory. London: SAGE. Provides an overview of the leading versions of strain theory; noteworthy for its coverage of general strain theory. Akers, Ronald L. Criminological theories: Introduction, evaluation, and application.

New York: Oxford Univ. Bernard, Thomas J. Snipes, and Alexander L. The strain theories chapter in this text provides an especially good discussion of the development of the classic strain theories of Merton, Cohen, and Cloward and Ohlin; the attacks on these theories; and the relationship between strain and anomie theories. Kubrin, Charis E. Stucky, and Marvin D. Researching theories of crime and deviance. One chapter provides an overview of classic strain theory and general strain theory, with an extended discussion of how key concepts in these theories have been measured and how the theories have been tested.

Passas, Nikos, and Robert Agnew, eds. The future of anomie theory. Boston: Northeastern Univ. This edited volume features an introduction and eight chapters that test, apply, and extend strain and anomie theories—often by linking them to concepts in other areas, such as reference groups, identity, organizations, social capital, and social support.

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