General Strain Theory Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is General Strain Theory?

General Strain Theory (GST) is a sociological theory that looks at how negative social conditions, such as poverty and discrimination, can contribute to criminal behavior. GST suggests that individuals who experience strain or pressures from their environment may turn to crime as a way of dealing with the stress they face. According to this theory, when individuals in disadvantaged situations face problems with meeting their goals or expectations, they may feel frustrated and seek out crime as an outlet for their anger and feelings of injustice.In addition to the stresses caused by low socio-economic status, other sources of strain can include: difficult family relationships; lack of respect from authority figures; peer pressure; racism or discrimination; lack of education; bullying or abuse; and feeling powerless in decision-making processes. The idea behind GST is that these types of strains lead people toward illegal activities as a means of expressing their frustrations and seeking relief from them. GST proposes three primary mechanisms for understanding how strains lead to crime: the immediate reaction mechanism, which states that frustration leads directly to aggression; the coping mechanism, in which individuals cope with strain through some form of delinquent behavior such as drug use or theft; and the reactive adaptation mechanism, where people learn more effective strategies for dealing with stress over time by committing more serious crimes like burglary or robbery. The idea behind GST has been used by criminologists to explain why certain groups are disproportionately represented among offenders in society such as those living in poverty or facing discrimination suggesting it is not simply because they have criminal tendencies but rather because they are facing greater levels of strain than other members of society due to certain social conditions beyond their control.