NCJ Number
191812
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2001 Pages: 362-386
Date Published
2001
Length
25 pages
Annotation
The purpose of this article is to conduct an initial test of Agnew’s (1992) macro-level version of general strain theory.
Abstract
In recent years, the criminological community has witnessed a resurgence of interest in strain theory. This development is largely attributed to Agnew’s 1992 formulation of general strain theory (GST). According to GST, individuals may encounter aversive social relations in which they experience goal blockage, are presented with noxious stimuli, and/or are deprived of positively valued stimuli. These relations tend to generate negative effect, create pressures for corrective action, and increase the likelihood of criminal or delinquent behavior. Anger plays a central role in GST and is said to have a particularly strong connection to delinquency because it “energizes” strained individuals to action, lowers inhibitions, increases felt injury, and creates a desire for retaliation and revenge. This article tests Agnew’s macro-level version of strain theory (MST). Drawing on data from a national sample of public high schools, the authors estimated the relationship between aggregate-level student anger and individual differences in aggressive behavior, controlling for individual anger and other individual-level differences. The results provided mixed support for MST. According to MST, school-level differences in problem behavior should be a function, in part, of anger in the student population. In the analyses, an aggregate measure of student anger was significantly associated with school-level differences in student-to-student aggression (i.e., the frequency with which students report fights and arguments with other students), controlling for social disorganization and subcultural deviance variables. However, student anger failed to have a significant effect on a more general measure of aggressive or disruptive behavior that included aggression directed toward teachers (arguing with teachers and doing things to make teachers angry). In short, the aggregate measure of student anger exhibited a behavior-specific effect. Although the results of the analyses were mixed, with the effect of aggregate student anger limited to student-to-student conflict, the results were sufficiently encouraging to inspire further testing of MST at the level of both schools and other macro-level social units. Notes, references