Strain, Social Control, and Social Learning Theories in Property Crime
This paper examines three major criminological theories—strain theory, social control theory, and social learning theory—and evaluates how each accounts for property crime and property offenders. Drawing on Agnew's formulation of strain theory, the paper argues that strain theory offers a more psychologically nuanced explanation of criminal behavior than the other two frameworks. While social learning theory emphasizes environmental modeling and social control theory focuses on rational self-interest, strain theory centers on the accumulation of negative emotional states that eventually erupt in criminal conduct. The paper traces how each theory handles offender motivation, moral responsibility, and the role of social relationships in shaping delinquent behavior.
- Introduction: Three Theories of Crime: Distinguishes strain, control, and learning theory frameworks
- Strain Theory and Property Crime: Applies strain theory to property crime motivation
- Social Control Theory and Property Offenders: Critiques control theory's rational self-interest focus
- Social Learning Theory Compared to Strain Theory: Contrasts learning theory with strain theory's psychological depth
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper uses direct theoretical comparison throughout, keeping all three frameworks in dialogue rather than treating each in isolation.
- The volcano analogy clearly illustrates the pressure-buildup mechanism central to strain theory, making an abstract concept concrete and memorable.
- The paper maintains a consistent evaluative stance, explicitly arguing that strain theory offers a more psychologically complete account than its rivals.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper demonstrates comparative theoretical analysis: rather than simply summarizing each theory, it evaluates them against a specific crime type (property crime) and uses each theory's weaknesses to highlight the strengths of the focal framework. This technique is useful in criminology and social science essays where multiple competing paradigms address the same phenomenon.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by distinguishing strain theory from the other two frameworks at a general level. It then applies strain theory specifically to property crime, followed by a focused critique of social control theory's limitations, and closes with a nuanced comparison of social learning theory to strain theory. Each section builds the argument that strain theory is uniquely attentive to internal psychological pressure and moral deterioration.
Introduction: Three Theories of Crime
According to Agnew (2008), strain theory differs from social control theory and social learning theory in that it examines the sets of social relationships that progress toward delinquency, and the motivation for delinquency, in ways that the other two frameworks do not address. Social learning theory posits that individuals learn behavior from peers and members of their immediate community (Akers & Jennings, 2009), and social control theory posits that an individual simply recognizes the personal advantage of breaking rules and laws and is not sufficiently restrained by societal controls (Schreck & Hirschi, 2009). Strain theory, by contrast, focuses on the impact of negative relationships and how delinquency results from pressurized negative emotional states — such as anger and resentment — that strain one's ability to exercise clear thinking and upright moral behavior (Agnew, 2008).
Strain Theory and Property Crime
Strain theory applies to property crime and property offenders by explaining delinquent and criminal acts as stemming from the negative states in which offenders are situated for prolonged periods. Unlike social learning theory, it does not assume that criminal behavior is simply "learned" and therefore repeated. Rather, it holds that criminal behavior is the result of a pressurized internal system that — like a volcano — builds more and more pressure from the strain of a negative state until it finally erupts in the form of criminal conduct. This eruption represents a kind of lashing out at the rule-abiding society around the offender, which appears to have everything going its way.
The offender, according to strain theory, essentially communicates to society that nothing is going well for him, and demonstrates this by breaking society's rules regarding private property. The offense is a reflection of the offense committed against the offender himself — the product of the negative states, unwholesome attitudes, and damaging situations, whether social, economic, political, or spiritual, to which he has been subjected.
References
Agnew, R. (2008). Strain theory. In V. Parrillo (Ed.), Encyclopedia of social problems (pp. 904–906). SAGE.
Akers, R., & Jennings, W. (2009). Social learning theory. In 21st century criminology: A reference handbook. SAGE.
Schreck, C., & Hirschi, T. (2009). Social control theory. In 21st century criminology: A reference handbook. SAGE.
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