General Strain Theory

Abstract

According to general strain theory (GST), individuals who experience strain or stress often become upset and sometimes cope with crime. This simple idea is at the core of GST, although the theory elaborates on this idea in a number of ways. For instance, GST specifies the major types of strains, identifies the types of strains that are most likely to cause crime, explains why these strains cause crime, and explains why only some strained individuals resort to criminal coping. Further, GST provides an explanation for offending over the life course and group differences in crime, and suggests strategies for controlling crime. In this chapter, these aspects of GST are described in detail.