Agnew's General Strain Theory Research Articles

Intimate Partner Violence and Suicidality: Applicability of General Strain Theory to Women in Trinidad and Tobago.

Suicide among women is a growing problem in Trinidad and Tobago. Despite efforts to reduce suicide, the etiology of suicidal behaviors in this region has rarely been examined. Using the National Women's Health Survey for Trinidad and Tobago in 2018 (n = 1,079), this study examined the causes of suicidality through concepts contained in Agnew's general strain theory, such as negative stimuli (i.e., intimate partner violence [IPV]) and negative emotion (i.e., depression). By estimating structural equation models, this study found that IPV was strongly related to depression and suicidality. Particularly, depression mediated the effect of IPV on suicidality.

How General is General Strain Theory? An Inquiry of Workplace Deviance in Iran

Occupational deviance is one of the most rampant and alarming phenomena in the workplace. It can have negative effects on the individual employee, the organization, the profession, and the larger society. Therefore, it is important to better understand the etiology of such behavior in the hopes of providing solutions to reduce it. One such theory that may provide a conceptual framework to help understand workplace deviance is Agnew's general strain theory. As such, the main goal of this research was to examine the predictive utility of general strain theory in explaining workplace deviance. Using a sample of 336 private bankers in Iran, the findings suggest that the important theoretical concepts of workplace strain, subjective strain, negative emotion, and deviant motivation all predicted workplace misconduct. Consistent with the theory, additional results demonstrated important mediated relationships, such that strain was indirectly related to workplace deviance through negative emotions and deviant motivation. Specific results, policy implications, and study limitations are discussed.

Applying GST to Understand and Contextualize Bullying: A Conjunctive Analysis of Case Configurations.

Drawing from Agnew's general strain theory, this study examines whether certain risk factors have a consistent effect across different situational contexts that characterize bullying perpetration. A conjunctive analysis of case configurations was conducted to examine and identify situational factors that increase adolescents' risks for bullying perpetration using data from the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey. Results from a sample of 166,176 U.S. adolescents show that (1) incidents of traditional bullying perpetration cluster significantly among dominant situational profiles; (2) students most likely to be bullies experience victimization, but students least likely to bully their peers rarely experience bullying victimization; and (3) being a victim of traditional bullying can increase the chances of traditional bullying perpetration in some situational contexts, but can have almost no influence on perpetration in other contexts. Current findings are discussed considering existing bullying scholarship and recommendations for policy and future areas of research are presented.

COVID-19 Pandemic as Subjective Repeated Strains and its Effects on Deviant Behavior in a Sample of Italian Youth.

Although over the past 2 years several studies have been carried out on the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people, few of them investigated the pandemic as psychosocial strain and its effects on deviant behaviors. According to Agnew's General Strain Theory, a repeated objective psychosocial strain, such as the pandemic, exerts pressure on deviance when individuals associate with deviant peers and have weak attachment to parents. Using a sample of 568 young Italians (ages: 15-20 years; 65.8% females, 34.2% males) from north, central and south Italy, we tested for the possible correlation between COVID-19 as a repeated psychosocial strain, deviant behaviors and the role of some coping strategies not included in the Agnew's original theoretical formulation. Results back the thesis that, considering the COVID-19 pandemic as a repeated subjective strain, affect deviance results primarily through association with deviant peers and less through weak attachment with family. The mediating role of coping strategies was found to be weak. The predominant role of the peer group in the genesis of deviant responses to strain will be discussed.

Associations Between Peer Victimization and Problematic Internet Use Among Adolescents: Humor Makes a Difference.

With the increasing development of science and technology, the Internet has become an essential part of people's daily lives providing great convenience. However, the Internet also leads to problematic Internet use (PIU) among adolescents, which has attracted increasing attention from the academic community. Peer victimization is a pervasive stressor among adolescents and has been proven to lead to a series of mental health challenges. Although the association between peer victimization and PIU has been well documented, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to understand how and when peer victimization increases the risk of PIU among adolescents. Building on Agnew's general strain theory, this study hypothesized that depression mediates the relationship between peer victimization and PIU and humor moderates the mediating model. To examine these hypotheses, 469 middle school students were recruited to complete a series of questionnaires on peer victimization, depression, humor, and PIU. The results showed that depression partially mediated the relationship between peer victimization and PIU. A moderated mediation analysis indicated that humor moderated the indirect pathway, consistent with the reverse stress-buffering model, the relationship between peer victimization and depression was stronger for adolescents with high humor. However, the relationship between depression and PIU was weaker in adolescents with high humor, which is in line with the stress-buffering model. These findings could be of significance in understanding the underlying mechanism of PIU associated with peer victimization and provide a new perspective for preventing PIU among adolescents, especially those experiencing peer victimization. The limitations and considerations for future research are discussed.

Bullying and Delinquency: The Impact of Anger and Frustration

Few studies have explored whether individuals who are bullied at school or online are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior. Even less is known about whether negative emotions (i.e., anger or frustration)-as a result of being victimized-mediate the relationships between being bullied or cyberbullied and delinquency (as predicted by Agnew's general strain theory). The current study uses data from a national sample of 2,670 middle and high school students in the United States. Results indicate that youth who were bullied or cyberbullied, and who experience negative emotions as a result, are more likely to engage in delinquency. Negative emotions did not mediate the relationship between bullying and delinquency; however, they did partly mediate the relationship between cyberbullying and delinquency. The findings indicate that being bullied matters more in explaining delinquent behavior than the negative emotions that may result. Implications for research and policy are discussed in light of these findings.

Victimization, fear of crime, procedural injustice and inmate misconduct: An application of general strain theory in South Korea

PurposeWhile a wealth of research on Agnew's general strain theory has shown that strains can promote the likelihood of crime and deviant behavior, the application of general strain theory towards a prison setting remains understudied. This study aims to expand the knowledge base for our understanding of the roles that unique strains play within prisons that may pressure inmates to engage in inmate misconduct. MethodsDrawing on data from a sample of South Korean inmates, the present paper examines the impact of prison-based strains on violent and nonviolent misconduct. ResultsFindings suggest that experienced strain (i.e., violent criminal victimization), anticipated strain (i.e., fear of crime), and perceived procedural injustice adversely affected inmate misconduct; however, the magnitude of the effects varied across different types of inmate misconduct. ConclusionsPrevention/intervention efforts to diminish strains that inmates encounter in institutional corrections are necessary to decrease inmate misconduct.

General Strain Theory, Depression, and Substance Use: Results From a Nationally Representative, Longitudinal Sample of White, African-American, and Hispanic Adolescents and Young Adults

ABSTRACTBased on the interpretations of Agnew's general strain theory (GST), White, African-American, and Hispanic adolescents and young adults were examined longitudinally to identify the intersection between strain and depression that could produce a long-term effect on substance use. Results from full sample and group-based path models indicate that some support was found for the general tenets of GST. African-Americans were significantly different from Whites and Hispanics in regard to experiencing certain types of strain; however, the results were not always in the anticipated direction. Possible theoretical reasons for the findings and directions for future research are discussed.

No experience required: Violent crime and anticipated, vicarious, and experienced racial discrimination

There is a growing body of evidence linking racial discrimination and juvenile crime, and a number of theories explain this relationship. In this study, we draw on one popular approach, Agnew's general strain theory, and extend prior research by moving from a focus on experienced discrimination to consider two other forms, anticipated and vicarious discrimination. Using data on black, white, and Hispanic youth, from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), we find that experienced, anticipated, and to a lesser extent, vicarious discrimination, significantly predict violent crime independent of a set of neighborhood, parental, and individual level controls, including prior violent offending. Additional analyses on the specific contexts of discrimination reveal that violence is associated with the anticipation of police discrimination. The effects tend to be larger for African American than Hispanic youth, but the differences are not statistically significant. These findings support the thesis that, like other strains, discrimination may not have to be experienced directly to influence offending.

Alcohol Consumption Among Turkish Adolescents: An Empirical Test of General Strain Theory

ABSTRACTUsing data drawn from the 2008 Youth in Europe Survey, the current study examined alcohol consumption among Turkish adolescents through the lens of Agnew's general strain theory (GST). Although considerable attention has been paid to alcohol consumption among adolescents, extant research has remained limited to Western countries. Similarly, much of the support for GST was derived from research conducted in the United States. The current study explores factors associated with alcohol consumption in Turkey and tests the generalizability of GST. Results from ordinal logistic regression analyses indicated that, except for family strain, specific kinds of strain were significantly associated with drinking behavior without any mediating effect that could emanate from students’ negative affective states.

“Lethal” Ladies or “Desperate” Housewives: Agnew's General Strain Theory and Violent Crimes Committed by Women

“Lethal” Ladies or “Desperate” Housewives: Agnew's General Strain Theory and Violent Crimes Committed by Women

The Effect of Sexual Abuse on Deviant Behaviors Among Turkish Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Emotions.

Drawing from Robert Agnew's General Strain Theory, the purpose of this study is to examine the effect of sexual abuse on deviant behaviors, such as suicide, smoking, drinking, drug use, violent crime, and property crime, among Turkish adolescents. The article also aims to understand the mediating role of negative emotions, including depression and anger, as well as gender differences in this relationship. Findings from a series of analyses demonstrate that the experience of sexual abuse is significantly related to the likelihood of engaging in most of the deviant behaviors. In addition, the mediating role of negative emotions, particularly anger, was highlighted in the findings. Furthermore, the effect of sexual abuse on deviant behaviors was relatively greater for Turkish males compared with Turkish females. The current study contributes to the literature on the consequences of sexual abuse by considering them within the unique Islamic-Western cultural context of Turkey. Overall, findings suggest that this particular form of strain has a substantial impact on deviant behaviors among Turkish adolescents.

Homeless youth, strain, and justice system involvement: An application of general strain theory

Using Agnew's (2006) general strain theory as a guide, we seek to identify some of the key events and experiences that place homeless youth at high risk of justice system involvement. By expanding and elaborating on the particular types of strains and stressors that are relevant to homeless youth, we identify several key (and understudied) strains that may help to account for their high risk of justice system involvement and that may also place them at risk of persistent homelessness. These strains include experiences of polyvictimization, experiences of discrimination and violent victimization that result from an LGBT identity, and a variety of failures and setbacks associated with multiple system involvement. The implications of this work for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.

A Cross‐Cultural Examination of the Disjuncture Between Aspirations and Expectations/Perceived Outcomes: Strain and Academic Deviance in the United States and Japan

Using comparable self‐reported survey data collected among college students in the United States (n = 502) and Japan (n = 441), this study examines a paradox of higher academic deviance among otherwise more conforming Japanese youth while revisiting the debate concerning the disjuncture between aspirations and expectations/perceived outcomes in Agnew's general strain theory (GST). Confirming the paradox, our results indicate that Japanese students are significantly more deviant academically than American students. However, contrary to the expectation of GST, but in support of past empirical studies, the higher academic deviance among the Japanese, as compared to Americans, is explained by their lower aspirations, irrespective of the levels of expectations/perceived outcomes

General strain theory, exposure to violence, and suicide ideation among police officers: A gendered approach

PurposeA wide body of research has demonstrated that police officers are profoundly affected by their exposure to violence and the traumatic events viewed commonly as part of their job duties. Faced with stress, officers learn to adapt by incorporating coping techniques. MethodsThe current study utilizes Agnew's general strain theory to explain occurrences of the most dangerous maladaptive coping technique: suicide ideation. Male and female police officers from three large cities in Texas were surveyed (n =1,410). ResultsThe present study utilizes logistic regression techniques, finding that strain has a positive and direct effect on male officers suicide ideation risk, but not for female police. Moreover, depression has a mediating effect on strain and suicide ideation for both genders. ConclusionsSome critical differences in suicide ideation outcomes between male and female police officers are reported. Policy implications concerning retention and recruiting are also discussed.

Hazardous alcohol use among South Korean police officers: Examining predictions from general strain theory

Agnew's (1985, 1992) general strain theory (GST) had earned a wide array of empirical support in research on crime and delinquency. Yet, there has been limited attempt to apply GST's framework to unique samples such as police officers. The present study explores the generalizability of GST to hazardous alcohol use using a sample of 570 South Korean male police officers. OLS, binary logistic, and ordinal logistic regression analyses produced evidence that partially supports the key propositions of GST. These findings are explained in the context of South Korean drinking culture. Research implications for future researchers are also discussed.

Soliciting strain: examining both sides of street prostitution through General Strain Theory

This article explores the possible factors contributing to prostitution through an exploration of Agnew's General Strain Theory (GST) in a sample of current and former female prostitutes and a sample of male ‘johns.’ By understanding the factors that lead women to engage in prostitution along with the factors that lead men to solicit prostitution, a better understanding of the entire criminal interaction can be achieved. Furthermore, examining prostitution through an application of GST allows for a critical review of the theory through identifying strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately the study shows that both the men and women involved in prostitution experience strain, although different strains motivate their behaviors, and while their emotional and behavioral responses are different – the difference leads to participation in the same criminal event.

Prescription Drug Misuse and Gender

In recent years, prescription drug misuse has become a serious public health issue. A number of studies in this area have identified females to be at an increased risk for prescription drug misuse during adolescence. Guided by Agnew's general strain theory, the current research examined the relationship between prescription drug misuse and gender during adolescence. We used data from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a sample representative of the non-institutionalized population of the United States. Logistic regression models were estimated to examine the relationship between gender, prescription drug misuse, strain, and depression. The findings indicated that females were at an increased for prescription drug misuse. We also found support for general strain theory, as strain and depression were significantly related to prescription drug misuse. In addition, we found evidence that strain was gendered in that elements of general strain theory accounted for the relationship between prescription drug misuse and gender.

Gender and Juvenile Drug Abuse: A General Strain Theory Perspective

This study is a partial test of Robert Agnew's (2006) general strain theory. The sample consists of 39,879 juveniles between the ages of 10 and 17 from a metropolitan area in Texas with more than 5 million people. Logistic regression is used to determine the effect of living situation on drug offenders, drug recidivists, and juvenile court case outcome when race, abuse, sex, and mental health problems are controlled. Gender-specific analysis is used to test L. Broidy and R. Agnew's (1997) hypothesis that girls and boys react differently to strain. Results show partial support for the influence of a strained living situation on drug offenders, drug recidivists, and case outcome. Support is found for the hypothesis that boys' and girls' experiences with strain differ.

Suicidal ideations and attempts among adolescents subjected to childhood sexual abuse and family conflict/violence: The mediating role of anger and depressed mood

Based on a sample of 9085 16- to 19-year-old students attending all high schools in Iceland in 2004, the current study examines depressed mood and anger as potential mediators between family conflict/violence and sexual abuse, on the one hand, and suicidal ideations and suicide attempts on the other. Agnew's general strain theory provides the theoretical framework for the study. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted allowing explicit modelling of both direct and mediating effects using observed and latent variables. The findings showed that both depressed mood and anger mediated the relationship between family conflict/violence and sexual abuse and suicidal attempts. However, when testing the mediating pathways between sexual abuse and family conflict/violence and suicidal ideations, only depressed mood but not anger turned out to be a significant mediator. The authors discuss how these finding may inform and facilitate the design and development of interventions to reduce the likelihood of suicide attempts among young people.