The theory that can best explain Colton Harris- Moore’s behavior is Strain theory. Strain is the disjunction of goals and means. People commit deviant acts when they are denied the means of success. Merton (the father of strain theory) categorized people into five general categories (conformist‚ ritualists‚ innovators‚ retreatists‚ and rebels) with regards to their relationship to culturally accepted goals and the means to achieving those goals (Crossman‚ n.d.). When it comes to Colton and his case
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Experiencing the different cultures brought a whole new perspective in my eyes‚ but being so young at that time; I also had doubts and experienced deviance‚ a violation of norms or rules. There were times when I felt like my parents were being very strict and limited my fun activities. One day I went to my friend‚ Brittany’s house and started venting about how horrible and dull my life was. She told me her parents were fun because they would just give her money and she could do whatever she desired
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Robert Agnew published the general strain theory of crime and delinquency in 1992 as an improvement upon previous strain theory arguments proposed by Merton (1938)‚ A. Cohen (1955)‚ and Cloward and Ohlin (1960). The general strain theory explains crime and delinquency at an individual level‚ with a particular focus in social-psychological factors in the individual’s life. Despite the individualized approach‚ general strain theory includes some discussions of implications on the macro-‚ or structural
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Agnew’s General Strain Theory CRJ210 According to Chagrin Valley Times (2012)‚ on Monday‚ February 27‚ seventeen year old T.J. Lane walked into the cafeteria of Chardon High School and shot ten people with a .22 caliber handgun. Three of those people were killed‚ another had minor injuries‚ and the last student remains in critical condition. Sixteen year old Russell King Jr. and Demetrius Hewlin‚ and sixteen year old Daniel Parmerto‚ were the unfortunate students
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Merton used Durkheim’s concept of anomie to form his own theory‚ called Strain Theory. Merton argued that anomie is not created by dramatic social change‚ but rather by a social structure that holds the same goals to all its members without giving them equal means to achieve them. Merton stated that all members of a capitalist society have goals such as "wealth‚ status and personal happiness"‚ (Merton‚ 1938) and that the means available to achieve this success are unevenly distributed throughout
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Strain theory was originally pioneered by Robert K. Merton and it was later expanded on by Robert Agnew. Merton’s strain theory argues that individuals engage in deviant or criminal behavior when they cannot achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means (Merton‚ 1938). Essentially‚ deviance is the result of the strain that individuals feel from not being able to achieve their goals through legitimate means. Merton used the American Dream ideology to explain his theory. For example‚ the American
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which ‘Innovation’ is more commonly related to crime. However‚ during the late 1960s‚ Merton’s strain theory lose its appeal to discuss the cause of juvenile delinquency‚ until the 1990s‚ Agnew reformulated and regenerated in his theory. He has formulated a distinct theoretical perspectives based on Merton’s theory of anomie and strain‚ which termed as General Strain Theory. Apart from Merton’s strain of goals and means‚ his theory argued that strains might increase the possibility of individual’s
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November 20‚ 2013 Juvenile crimes are the various offenses that children under the age of eight-teen commit. The acts involved in these crimes are called juvenile delinquency. The issue of juvenile delinquency has been a rising issue in the American society for decades. As we take a look into the factors behind this problem we will also look into what changes have been made to the juvenile justice system to combat this. Factors behind juvenile delinquency is said to be mental illness and
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The GST states that stressors or strains increase the probability of negative emotions like frustration and anger in an individual. These “types of emotions tend to create pressure for counteractive action‚ and crime is one possible response” (Agnew 1992). The crime might be a technique for lessening strain‚ alleviating negative emotions or seeking revenge (e.g.‚ like bad grades). General strain theory (GST) builds on preceding strain theories in more than a few ways: the most notably‚
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Strain theory means when individuals feel the strain of being pressured to succeed in socially approved ways‚ they turn to crime and delinquency. Studies indicate a positive relationship between strain and delinquency. Individuals exposed to various types of strain parental abuse‚ victimization‚ discrimination‚ peer abuse are more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors. The studies found that strain predicted anger‚ which in turn influenced deviant behaviors. Robert Agnew elaborates on characteristics
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