General Strain Theory Research Articles

Machine learning prediction of petty corruption intention among law enforcement officers

Law enforcement agencies face a widespread problem of corruption, which jeopardizes their credibility and institutional integrity. Thus, the primary goal of this study is to develop a machine learning prediction model for petty corruption intentions as an early warning system for law enforcement officials who fail to perform their duties and obligations with integrity. Using a questionnaire survey of two hundred twenty-five participants, from senior officers to rank and file police officers, this study presents the fundamental knowledge on the design and implementation of machine learning model based on six selected algorithms; generalized linear model, fast last margin, decision tree, random forest, gradient boosted trees, and support vector machine. In addition to demographic factors, the efficacy of each machine learning algorithm on petty corruption was evaluated using general strain theory (GST) attributes: financial stress, work stress, leadership pressure, and peer pressure. The findings indicated that peer pressure has given the highest weight of contributions to most of the machine learning algorithms. The most outperformed machine learning in terms of the classification accuracy is gradient boosted trees with accuracy above 90%. This paper presents useful knowledge to enhance the realization of implementing intelligent corruption detection tools.

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.

Investigating Trauma Symptomology as a Mediator of the Relationships Between Childhood Maltreatment and Sexual and Non-Sexual Delinquency.

Maltreatment is a risk factor for both sexual and non-sexual delinquency. Little is known about how specific forms of maltreatment relate to the distinct offending outcomes. Though trauma symptoms have been associated with maltreatment and delinquency, the intervening role of trauma symptoms in pathways from maltreatment to offending is not well understood. The goal of the current study was to test social learning and general strain theory explanations for sexual and non-sexual delinquency in adolescence, exploring trauma symptoms as a mediator between the four major types of maltreatment and offending outcomes. Data were collected via surveys of 136 incarcerated youth at seven residential treatment and community corrections facilities in a Midwestern state. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to establish a measurement model, and structural equation modeling was employed to test direct and indirect pathways from maltreatment to offending. Individual forms of maltreatment had differential relationships with offending outcomes, with neglect having a significant association with non-sexual delinquency, and sexual abuse having a significant direct relationship with sexual delinquency. Trauma symptomology did not mediate these relationships. Future research should explore developmentally appropriate proxies for measuring childhood trauma. Practice and policy should consider the role of maltreatment victimization history in the inception of delinquency behaviors, prioritizing therapeutic alternatives to detention and incarceration.

Gendered Relationships Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Negative Emotional States, and Violent Delinquency.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to a host of negative health and behavioral outcomes, including crime, delinquency, and violence. Recent work on ACEs suggests that the impact of ACEs differs by gender, but research is unclear on the mechanisms of this relationship and how they impact violent delinquency. To explore whether and how the impact of ACEs on violent delinquency varies by gender, this study draws on Broidy and Agnew's gendered expansion of general strain theory (GST), which proposes that a key explanation for the gendered impact of strain on crime lies in gender differences in the negative emotional states that mediate the relationship. Using longitudinal data on a sample of 979 at-risk youth (558 girls and 421 boys) from the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect, this study examines the impact of ACEs (sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, supervisory neglect, parent mental illness, parent intimate partner violence, parent substance use, parent criminality, and family trauma) on violent delinquency by gender with consideration of the three negative emotional states hypothesized by GST-anger, depression, and anxiety. Results indicate that ACEs increase the odds of violent delinquency for both boys and girls, but that this relationship is significantly stronger for boys. Mediation models suggest that anger mediates the link between ACEs and violent delinquency for girls. Implications for research and policy centering on ACEs are discussed.

Community Violence and Code of the Streets: A Person-Centered Examination of General Strain Theory

ABSTRACT Anderson’s code of the streets (COS) model outlines one response to community violence exposure (CVE) in which individuals regard violence as an effective means to maintain respect and reduce victimization. Previous research suggests CVE, negative emotionality, and low social support may relate to the acceptability of violence. In a sample of 694 emerging adult undergraduate students (18–25 years, Mage = 20.72, SD = 1.85; 81.0% female; 57.1% White), the current study utilized latent profile analysis to derive profiles from CVE (i.e., direct, witnessing, hearing about), anger, and social support (friend, family). The relationships between these profiles and COS endorsement were then examined. A 4 class model emerged as the best fit: High CVE (5.0%), Low Support (16.7%), Moderate CVE and High Support (23.9%) and Low CVE (54.4%). Profiles significantly differed in relation to COS, with High CVE participants reporting the highest COS endorsement. The Low Support and the Moderate CVE and High Support participants reported moderate COS beliefs. The Low CVE participants endorsed the lowest levels of COS. Results showcase the importance of intervention efforts to bolster social support and reduce problematic anger, and prevention efforts aimed at decreasing CVE, which may reduce positive violence norms.

Strain, depression, and deviant behavior among left-behind and non-left-behind adolescents in China

China’s massive rural to urban migration has created a vast number of left-behind children (LBC) whose parents moved to cities for work. Drawing upon data from LBC and non-left-behind children (NLBC) in three Chinese cities, this study tests the applicability of general strain theory in explaining deviant behavior among adolescents. The analysis results show that LBC status is directly related to lower involvement in deviant behavior, whereas it is also directly linked to academic difficulty and depression, leading to more deviant acts. Compared with NLBC, LBC have an overall lower risk of deviance. Male and middle school students and students experiencing parental abuse and family poverty are more inclined to express greater depression, subsequently promoting higher participation in deviance.

ACEs and Angst: Adverse Childhood Experiences, General Strain Theory, and Adolescent Male Suicidal and Violent Behaviors

This study tests General Strain Theory (GST) as an explanation for associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and risk of violent and suicidal behaviors. Data comprise a census of archival information about the lives of 2,195 delinquent boys who resided at a U.S. treatment facility between 1975 and 2019. Logistic regression tests the effects of 12 combined ACEs, anger, low self-control, depression, race/ethnicity, and poverty on violent and suicidal behaviors. Interactive associations predicted by GST are examined by Zmediation and χ2 analyses. Nearly 93% of residents experienced at least one ACE, and 87% had ≥4. ACEs increase risk of violent and suicidal behaviors net of controls. They interact with low self-control and anger to increase risk of violence, and anger and depression mediate risk of suicidal behaviors. Rehabilitative programming for troubled boys should begin with thorough assessment of these experiences, and both outcomes require equal consideration in the ACEs research.

Impact of negative emotions on financial behavior: An assessment through general strain theory

Research background: The research has two objectives and employs a serial mediation approach. First, using the general strain theory, it examines the mediating role of negative feelings and impact of economic adversity on people's risk tolerance and prudent financial behavior. The second is determining the various categories' variations according to age. Purpose of the article: The study's main objective is to evaluate financial behaviour of people with lower and medium incomes after the second wave of COVID-19 in India, and to contribute to the body of knowledge on general strain theory. Methods: The study examined the proposed framework and tested the serial mediation model based on the general strain theory used as a survey method for data collection, targeting lower and middle-income individuals in India's most populated state. The study applied PLS-SEM to test the framed hypotheses. Furthermore, the Kruskal Wallis test was applied to identify the difference in the various groups classified based on age. Findings & value added: The results reveal that economic hardship significantly influences improved financial behavior. Risk aversion attitude, loneliness, and depression mediate the relationship between economic hardship and financial behavior. Moreover, the study found quite a few significant differences between the different age groups. The present study will add to the existing literature on financial behavior under the scope of general strain theory and probably be among the few that test general strain theory with financial variables impact on lower and middle-income group individuals from a developing nation in post-COVID-19 period.

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.

The association between peer rejection and behavior problems of migrant adolescents in China: A moderated mediation model of delinquent peer affiliation and parenting

Facing a stressful environment of peer rejection and discrimination, Chinese migrant adolescents are at high risk of developing behavior problems while receiving insufficient family support. In this context, the current study aimed to explore the pathway from peer rejection to adolescent behavior problems via the mediating role of delinquent peer affiliation and with the moderating roles of parental company and parental monitoring taken into consideration. A sample of 2041 migrant adolescents (46.2% female, mean age = 13.595) was drawn from the first and second waves of the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) for running a moderated mediation model. The results demonstrated that peer rejection positively predicted behavior problems through the mediator of delinquent peer affiliation (indirect effect = 0.007, 95% CI = [0.003, 0.014]). This mediating mechanism was moderated by parental company and by parental monitoring. Our study deepened the theoretical understanding and application of the general strain theory by showing how the interaction of peer stressors and parenting elements affected the behavior of migrant adolescents in a Chinese context. Further studies could pay more attention to the dynamic interplay between the family and peer systems, especially for rejected and marginalized adolescent groups. Limitations and implications for future school-based and family-based practices are also discussed.

Victimization, negative emotions, and substance use: Variability in general strain theory processes by marriage and relationship quality

General strain theory maintains that the likelihood that individuals engage in deviance to cope with negative emotions is conditioned by several factors, including social support. Yet, this tenet of the theory receives mixed support and few have considered factors important to life course theorists as moderators. Using data from Add Health ( N = 10,044), this study uses moderated-mediation techniques to examine if relationships between victimization as a source of strain and recent substance use are mediated by negative emotions, and the extent to which processes are moderated by marital status and relationship quality. Supporting general strain theory, findings show that the relationship between victimization and recent substance use was mediated by negative emotions. Results also provide evidence of moderated-mediation as the partial relationship between negative emotions and recent substance use varied by marital status.

Different mechanisms mediating cybervictimization and internalizing/externalizing problems: The moderating role of emotion regulation strategies

Being victimized online and through social media is a prevailing phenomenon among adolescents, and has been shown to be associated with later internalizing and externalizing problems. However, there is insufficient understanding of how the experience of cybervictimization is associated with these problems and when these associations are strongest. Guided by general strain theory, we proposed that cybervictimization is associated with internalizing and externalizing problems through different mechanisms, and that emotion regulation strategies moderate these processes. Questionnaire data were collected from 810 high school students in southern China (54.3% girls, mean age = 16.8, SD = 0.79). As hypothesized, path analysis results showed that the positive association between cybervictimization and internalizing problems was mediated by psychological insecurity, whereas the positive association between cybervictimization and externalizing problems was mediated by moral disengagement. In addition, adolescents’ emotion regulation strategies moderated these mediation processes. Cognitive reappraisal buffered the effect of psychological insecurity on internalizing problems but aggravated the effect of cybervictimization on moral disengagement. Expressive suppression buffered the effect of moral disengagement on externalizing problems. Our results provide a novel perspective for understanding the negative impacts of cybervictimization on adolescents, and have practical implications for interventions to reduce these impacts.

Chippin’ In: An Analysis of the Criminological Concepts Within Cyberpunk 2077

The cyberpunk genre dominates much of our popular culture, from how we think of cyber- and white-collar crime, to our understanding of how technology influences the criminal justice system. This article explores the common criminological themes prevalent within the recent video game Cyberpunk 2077 as an example of popular criminology. Specifically, it explores the game's story and environment by examining key characters’ responses to structural inequalities through an anomie theory lens. Key characters and groups within the game exemplify Merton's (1938) different responses to rampant poverty and socioeconomic inequality. This is then extended to the “cyberpsycho” problem within the game, incorporating General Strain Theory to discuss why specific individuals develop the problem within Cyberpunk 2077.

Hukou, Migration, Strain, and Crime: A Case of Incarcerated Population in China

Based on survey data from 1,593 prisoners in Guizhou, China, the current study examines the influence of hukou and migration status on crime involvement. Utilizing the general strain theory framework, this study tests a mediation model that hukou (urban vs. rural) and migration status (migrant vs. local) intersect to shape people’s experience of strain, which further leads to engagement in crime. Among the strain variables, victimization stands out as the most significant mediator that connects rural hukou to crime. These results suggest that the Chinese government should completely abolish the household registration system, or at least make more effective reforms that provide more equal opportunities for development and safety protection to people with rural hukou.

COVID-19 Stressors and Aggression among Chinese College Students: The Mediation Role of Coping Strategies.

Although college students experienced excessive stressors (COVID-19 disease and negative COVID-19 news) during the COVID-19 pandemic, few studies have been aimed at coping strategies used by college students to deal with stress caused by the pandemic. Coping strategies are efforts to deal with anxiety in the face of a perceived threat or stress. Aggression is harmful social interaction with the intention of inflicting damage or harm upon another individual. In the present study, we aimed to examine the direct effect of stressors resulting from the pandemic on college students' aggression, as well as the indirect effect via their coping strategies. Through a cross-sectional survey of 601 Chinese college students (M-age = 20.28), we tested the proposed framework. We first found that information stressors of COVID-19 ranked highest among the four stressors of the pandemic. Results also indicated that college students' stressors of COVID-19 were directly and positively associated with their aggressive behavior. For the indirect effect, college students would adopt both adaptive coping strategies (self-help strategy) and maladaptive coping strategies (avoidance strategy and self-punishment strategy) with the stressors of COVID-19. Furthermore, adaptive coping strategy (approach strategy) was negatively related to their aggression, whereas maladaptive coping strategy (avoidance strategy and self-punishment strategy) was positively related to their aggressive behavior. The present research extends the general strain theory in the COVID-19 context. Practical implications are also 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.

Correlates of Six-Month Recidivism among Rural Incarcerated Women

With growing rates of incarceration among women, it is crucial to understand factors associated with reincarceration. Rural incarcerated women have increased risks for strains and drug use. General Strain Theory posits that strains (drug use, psychosocial stressors) are associated with recidivism. Women experience as much, or more strain than men. The present secondary analysis examined intravenous drug use (IDU) and psychosocial factors (partner status, employment status, educational attainment, number and custody of children) as correlates of 6-month recidivism among women incarcerated in rural jails. Baseline and 6-month follow-up data for 361 women were examined. Two logistic regression models tested IDU and psychosocial characteristics as correlates of 6-month recidivism, highlighting changes in correlates from baseline (Model 1) to follow-up (Model 2). Model 1 indicated number of children and partner status as significant correlates. Model 2 indicated number of children, employment, and IDU as significant correlates. Implications for desistence interventions were discussed.

Childhood adversity, depression, and digital self-harm

ABSTRACT Drawing on Agnew’s general strain theory, this study investigates the extent to which adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with engagement in digital self-harm—the anonymous posting of mean or hurtful information about oneself on the internet and social media platforms. It also assesses the extent to which depressive symptoms mediate this association. To address these two issues, we use data collected from 7,799 middle-school and high-school students who participated in the 2019 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey. The results indicate a strong, positive association between cumulative ACEs and recent engagement in digital self-harm, with nearly 50% of this association operating through depressive symptoms. The findings of this study add to the growing body of research linking ACEs to maladaptive behavior, and they identify a new potential causal pathway for understanding youth engagement in digital self-harm.

Race-Related and Mental Health Factors of Powder Cocaine Use Among Black Incarcerated Men

Incarceration disproportionately impacts Black men in the United States, which can have compounding effects on mental health and substance use among this population. Cocaine use, in particular, carries higher severity of dependence and overdose risks among Black Americans, though research examining cocaine use correlates among Black incarcerated men is limited. The present study examines race-related and mental health correlates of powder cocaine use among a sample of incarcerated Black men (n = 208) using the General Strain Theory. Specifically, the present study was a secondary analysis examining race-related stress, psychological distress (i.e., anxiety and depression), and stigma about receiving psychological help as correlates of lifetime powder cocaine use. Results indicated that the likelihood of lifetime powder cocaine use was higher among those reporting lifetime psychological distress and greater race-related stress. Stigma about receiving psychological help was not significantly associated with lifetime powder cocaine use among this sample. Results of this study have important implications for substance use treatment interventions. Identifying adaptive coping strategies to manage anxiety and depression symptoms and race-related stress among incarcerated Black men may help reduce rates of cocaine use among this population and increase successful reintegration into the community post-incarceration.