Strain, Control, and Learning Theories of Criminal Behavior
This paper examines the key assumptions underlying strain, control, and social learning theories of criminal behavior, arguing that these three theoretical orientations share enough common ground to be integrated into a more comprehensive criminological framework. Rooted in Durkheim's anomie and extended by Merton's strain theory, the discussion traces how social cohesion, institutional controls, and learned deviance intersect. The paper draws on Rukus, Stogner, and Miller's (2016) study of novel drug use among the LGBT community as a case example of successful theoretical integration, and concludes that combining strain and social learning theories may offer the strongest explanatory power for criminological research.
- Introduction: Shared Foundations of Three Criminological Theories: Overview of shared assumptions across all three theories
- Strain Theory and Anomie: Durkheim, Merton, and strain from inequality
- Control Theory and Social Institutions: Institutional controls and normative behavior
- Social Learning and Differential Association Theory: Deviance learned through modeling and subculture
- Integrating the Three Theories in Criminological Research: Empirical case of LGBT drug use study
- Conclusion: Toward an Integrated Criminological Framework: Limits of causality and recommended integration
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What makes this paper effective
- Efficiently synthesizes three distinct criminological theories by identifying their shared assumptions, making a concise but substantive comparative argument.
- Uses a concrete empirical example — Rukus, Stogner, and Miller's (2016) study of LGBT novel drug use — to ground the theoretical discussion in real research.
- Ends with a focused, defensible claim about which theoretical combination is most useful, demonstrating critical judgment rather than mere summary.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates theoretical synthesis: rather than treating strain, control, and learning theories as competing frameworks, the writer identifies their structural similarities and argues for integration. This is a graduate-level analytical move that shows how theories can complement one another to improve explanatory power in criminology.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by introducing all three theories and their shared roots in social cohesion, then examines each in turn. It transitions into a discussion of how researchers have combined the theories in practice, using the Rukus et al. study as evidence. The conclusion evaluates the limits of integration around causality and recommends the strain–social learning combination as most applicable to individualistic societies like the United States.
Introduction: Shared Foundations of Three Criminological Theories
The key assumptions underlying strain, control, and learning theories of criminal behavior are similar enough that they are sometimes integrated — or at least interrelated — in criminological discourse. Strain theories evolved from Durkheim's theory of anomie: the individual's disregard for social norms arising from the breakdown of social cohesion (Crossman, 2019). A breakdown of social cohesion can result from the ineffectiveness or the perceived illegitimacy of social institutions. Thomas Merton proposed that anomie can be exacerbated when individuals experience strain — or psychological distress — resulting from unmet needs, especially when those needs go unmet due to sociological problems such as inequality, injustice, or disparity.
While strain, control, and learning theories appear distinct, all three reveal the importance of social institutions in establishing norms, values, and formal controls on individual behavior. Similarly, all three demonstrate that individual behavior is inextricably linked to social realities.
Strain Theory and Anomie
Anomie, as conceived by Émile Durkheim, describes the erosion of social norms that follows the breakdown of social cohesion. Robert Merton extended this concept by arguing that strain arises when individuals are unable to achieve culturally valued goals through legitimate means. This gap between aspirations and available opportunities produces psychological distress, which in turn increases the likelihood of deviant or criminal behavior. Strain is intensified in societies marked by inequality, injustice, or systemic disparity, making it a structurally rooted rather than purely individual phenomenon.
References
Crossman, A. (2019). Deviance and strain theory in sociology. ThoughtCo. Retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/structural-strain-theory-3026632
"Differential Association, Strain and Control Theories." (n.d.). Retrieved from: julianhermida.com/contbondstrain.htm
Rukus, J., Stogner, J., & Miller, B. (2016). LGBT novel drug use as contextualized through control, strain, and learning theories. Social Science Quarterly. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bryan_Miller4/publication/308669239_LGBT_Novel_Drug_Use_as_Contextualized_Through_Control_Strain_and_Learning_Theories_LGBT_Novel_Drug_Use/links/5a579e46aca2726376b66832/LGBT-Novel-Drug-Use-as-Contextualized-Through-Control-Strain-and-Learning-Theories-LGBT-Novel-Drug-Use.pdf
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