NCJ Number
173327
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: Winter 1997 Pages: 323-343
Date Published
1997
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study examines violent responses to strain by using original data collected from a sample of college-aged youth.
Abstract
Past research on General Strain Theory (GST) has not widely examined the application of the theory to explain violent responses to strain. Additionally, the theory suggests there may be varying effects of strain on possible deviant outcomes across individuals differentiated on their dispositions toward deviance. This study specifically examined whether the effects of strain and anger on possible violent outcomes are invariant across individuals differentiated on their level of exposure to deviant peers and moral constraints against deviance. Using structural equation modeling, the study results suggest that a composite measure of strain increases respondents' intentions to engage in assaultive behavior. Additionally, the results show that anger mediates the impact of strain on possible violent responses. Finally, the results of the subgroup analyses suggest that the basic form of the GST model is invariant across groups. 1 figure, 5 tables, 18 notes, and 49 references