Strain Theory readings?

[littlegirlvik]

I'm currently taking a masters level criminology course in order to spruce up before going back to grad school (I've been out of school for a little over a year). Anyway, I have a paper that I'm writing on human trafficking for sexual exploitation, and I'm writing about it from a strain point of view. What I hope to show is that the source countries, because of macro-level strain, have a greater amount of normlessness and lawlessness and social dislocation due to the rapid changes they tried (and unsuccessfully) undertook to modernized and globalize. Anyway, I have all of the sources I need for the human trafficking aspect, I think---I'm debating if I want to do a little bit on all four of the "waves" of women, or focus on the most recent trend of women from the former Soviet Bloc---but I need help with some strain theory source. Obviously, I have Merton and Messner/Rosenfeld, and I'm trying to get my hands on a copy of Agnew's strain theory book.

Anyway, are there any other foundational strain theory texts I'm missing? Does anyone know of any studies that were done that found ways to quantify strain empirically? I understand the theory pretty well, and I know my ARGUMENT, but I just want to make sure I'm staying within the realm of accurate strain theory.

Anyway, I know its not grad school stuff, but I figured other CJ nerds might be able to help me out :-).

[highanxiety]

Yes - there is a GREAT book... "A General Theory of Crime" by Gottfedson & Hirschi. Do you know it?

[highanxiety]

Wait... does this make me a nerd?

[SA_Research]

I actually have been feverishly reading strain theory articles... here are a few:

Agnew, R. (1992). Foundation for a general straintheory of crime and delinquency. Criminolgy,30, 47-

87.

Agnew, R., Brezina, T. & Cullen, F. (2002).Strain, personality traits, and delinquency: extending

generalstrain theory. Criminology, 40,43-71.

Agnew, R., & Brenzina, T. (1997). Relationalproblems with peers, gender, and delinquency. Youth and

Society, 29, 84-111.

Agnew, R., Brezina, T., Wright, J. P., & Cullen,F. T. (2002). Strain, personality traits, and delinquency:

Extendinggeneral strain theory. Criminology, 40, 43-71.

Agnew, R. (2001). Building the foundation of generalstrain theory: Specifying the types of

strainmost likely to lead to crime and delinquency. Journal of Research in Crime and

Delinquency, 38, 319-361.

Agnew,R., & White, H. R. (1992). An empirical test of general strain theory. Criminology, 30, 475-498.

Baron, S.W. (2004). General strain, street youth and crime: a test of Agnew’s revisedtheory.

Criminology,42, 457-483.

Benda, B.B. (2002). Religion and violent offenders in boot camp: A structural equationmodel. Journal

of Researchin Crime and Delinquency, 39, 91-121.

Brenzia,T. (1996). Adapting to strain: An examination of delinquent coping responses. Criminology, 34,

39-60.

Brenzia,T. (1998). Adolescent maltreatment and delinquency: The question of interveningprocess.

Journalof Research in Crime and Delinquency, 35, 71-99.

Furstenberg,F. F. (2001). The fading dream: Prospects for marriage in the inner city. InAnderson, E. and

Massey, D. S. (eds.), Problem of the Century: Racial stratification in the United States, RussellSage

Foundation, New York, NY, pp. 224-246.

Garbarino,J., & Gilliam, G. (1980). Understandingabusive families. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.

Hay, C.(2003). Family strain, gender and delinquency. Social Perspectives, 46, 107-135.

Herrenkohl, T., Huang, B.,Tajima, E., & Whitney, S. (2003). Examining the link between child

abuse and youth violence: An analysis ofmediating mechanisms. Journal of Interpersonal

Violence, 18(10), 1189-1208.

Hollist,D. R., Hughes, L. A., &Schaible, L. M. (2009). Adolescent maltreatment,negative

emotion, and delinquency: An assessment ofgeneral strain theory and family-based strain.

Journalof Criminal Justice, 37, 379-397.

Jang, S. J. (2007). Gender differences in strain,negative emotions, and coping behaviors: A general strain

theoryapproach. Justice Quarterly, 24, 523-553.

Jang, S.J., & Johnson, B. R. (2003). Strain, negative emotions, and deviant copingamong African

Americans: A test of general straintheory. Journal of QuantitativeCriminology, 19, 79-105.

Johnson,B. R., Jang, S. J., Larson, D. B., & Li, S. D. (2001). Does adolescentreligious commitment

matter? A reexamination of the effects ofreligiosity on delinquency. Journal ofResearch in Crime

andDelinquency, 38, 22-43.

Mazerolle,P., Burton, V. S., Jr., Cullen, F. T., Evans, T. D., & Payne, G. L. (2000).Strain, anger, and

delinquent adaptations: Specifying generalstrain theory. Journal of CriminalJustice, 28, 89-101.

Mazarolle, P., & Maahs, J.(2000). General strain and delinquency: an alternative examination of

conditioning influences. Justice Quarterly, 17(4), 753-777.

Salzinger, S., Rosario, M.,& Feldman, R. S. (2007). Physical abuse and adolescent violent

delinquency: The mediating and moderatingroles of personal relationships. Child

Maltreatment, 12(3), 208-219.

Zingraff, M. T., Leiter, J.,Johnson, M. C., & Meyers, K. A. (1993). Child maltreatment and youthful

problem behavior. Criminology, 31, 173-202.