IndexGeneral stress theoryRelationship between general stress theory and dataConclusionThe general stress theory states that individuals who have more tension or stress in their life, and feel angry or discouraged and experience negative emotions because of their strains, they are more likely to engage in bad or criminal behavior (Agnew, 1992). Although the issue of bullying has been studied more often in recent years, it has been difficult to determine what leads children to become so aggressive towards other children and to be bullies. It seems clear that many children are bullies because of underlying issues within themselves. Agnew (1992) points out that the negative relationships children have with other people such as parents, guardians, siblings, peers and the people they interact with on a daily basis or the positive relationships they have with deviant friends can pressure a child into delinquent behavior, like bullying. The number of bullying incidents has become even more prevalent in recent years due to the availability of more places to bully others. For example, children can now bully in school, outside of school, online or via cell phones, which allows the bully to abuse his victims whenever he wants. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayGeneral Strain TheoryGeneral Strain Theory evolved from models of strain theories developed by Merton (1938), Cohen (1955), and Cloward and Ohlin (1960) and was developed by Agnew during the 1980s (Agnew, 1992). To fully understand general strain theory and what it refers to, it is important to understand control theory and differential association/social learning theory. Agnew (1992) states that all these theories are sociological theories and that they explain crime and delinquency through the individual's relationships in society. General strain theory is notable for social control and differential association in its description of the relationship that leads to delinquency and the stimulus for crime (Agnew, 1992). Agnew (1992) stated that although control theory and differential association theory also focus on relationships, general strain theory broadened the focus to look at the negative stimuli presented by relationships with others. The main aspect of general strain theory is that it focuses on negative relationships with others (Agnew, 1992). Agnew (1992) explains that there are three main types of tension “each of which refers to a different type of negative relationship with others. Other individuals may prevent someone from achieving positively valued goals, remove or threaten to remove positively valued stimuli that one has, or present or threaten to present harmful or negatively valued stimuli” (p. 50). Strain theory argues that delinquency is due to the pressure of negative emotions and these emotions can lead the child to use crime to achieve goals, to be delinquent to escape negativity, or to use drugs to get rid of his negative emotions (Agnew, 1992 ). Bullying is often a response to stressful situations and/or tension and many children engage in bullying because it allows them to vent their anger or animosity on other people. Agnew (1992) states that general stress theory proposes that a variety of conditioning factors, such as poverty, abuse, living conditions, aggression or violence, influence which children are more likely to commit crimesor deviant behaviors as a response to stress. Tension makes people feel angry, worried, frustrated, depressed, anxious and unhappy. These bad feelings create pressure and problems that a person needs to get rid of in one way or another. Undoubtedly, bullying others, whether in person or online, is something that struggling young people could participate in to let go of their negative feelings. Teasing, mocking, belittling, and otherwise tormenting other children provides the bully with a sense of power and authority. Shetgiri, Lin, Avila, and Flores (2012) found that academic achievement, family income, and family structure were strongly associated with bullying. Shetgiri et al. (2012) also stated that poverty, abuse, whether psychological or physical, slums and domestic violence are enormous conditioning factors that can easily lead a child to become a bully. As a result, many children find themselves in difficult circumstances that cause a lot of stress, which can lead them to lash out. Poverty, like many other strains, can lead a child to lash out at others as an escape or as a means to feel more powerful. Shetgiri et al. (2012) noted that “children living in poverty were almost twice as likely to be bullies” (p. 2282). Similarly, Chaux, Molano, and Podlesky (2009) found the same thing by stating that children living in a low socioeconomic family have a higher risk of becoming bullies. Due to poverty, children may have low self-esteem, which can cause them to react quickly and negatively towards other children, hurting the victim emotionally, mentally or physically. Woolley, Grogan-Kaylor, Gilster, Karb, Gant, Reischl, and Alaimo (2008) state that poverty usually involves a person living in a blighted, violent, or unsafe neighborhood or environment. Poverty and violence or hostility are closely related because having a low income means being in a low-income neighborhood and not being able to be part of a privileged society. This all ties into the general strain theory because, due to neighborhood, poverty allows a child to see violence such as fights, gang rivalry, shootings, break-ins, etc. and then inserts violence into that child's brain as a "normal" trait phenomenon. The child then bullies as a response to neighborhood stress and seeing violence. Chaux et al. (2009) argued that there is a significant relationship between exposure to community violence and aggressive behavior mediated by normal beliefs supporting aggression. This means that the child sees aggression most of the time and considers it ordinary. Seeing constant aggression and violence affects their lives and leads them to be destructive and violent. Also indicated by Chaux et al. (2009), is that children who see violence in their community or neighborhood are likely to learn that aggression, including bullying, is a way through which the child can achieve some sort of personal goal and gain power or status. Negative emotions, such as anger and irritation, caused in the child due to violence relate to the general theory of strain and how these emotions lead to crime. In addition to poverty and neighborhood influences, family has a large impact on how a person acts and lives their life. Different struggles, such as being ridiculed, scolded, or even the child being bullied, can cause that child to react destructively. Moon, Hwang, and McCluskey (2011) explained that children who experience higher levels of family conflict, parental punishment, orcriminal victimization are more likely to behave in a bullying manner towards other children. As Agnew (1992) made clear, negative relationships and the persistence of these relationships lead to delinquency due to lack of attachment. Children who experience, have experienced, or have witnessed abuse tend to have many more problems throughout their lives. This relates to witnessing violence in the community because it is the same concept as seeing violence as normal. For example, Mustanoja, Luukkonen, Hakko, Räsänen, Säävälä, and Riala (2011) found that there is an association between domestic violence and a child's inclination to become a bully towards others. Mustanoja et al. (2011) also suggest that there is a vicious cycle of violence that begins at home and leads an individual to be depressed, have low self-esteem or become assertive towards their peers. Witnessing domestic violence can be very problematic for children and the way they grow up. General strain theory holds that when children are unable to escape painful situations, such as domestic violence, it can lead them to a life of delinquent acts (Agnew, 1992). A child is supposed to see love and happiness in his or her family, not pain and violence. Constantly watching parents argue can lead a child to think that fighting is okay, that power is important, that verbal abuse is necessary, and that brutality is the answer. Regularly witnessing horrific events, such as domestic violence or abuse, can make a child angry and upset. Frisén, Jonsson, and Persson (2007) explained that bullied children and adolescents share many characteristics of aggressive children, including a hot temper, a less fortunate family, and a view of relationships that values aggression and bullying as means to achieve power. Many children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to be aggressive and physical, mainly because of what they have learned from the people around them and who they care about most. Bowes, Arseneault, Maughan, Taylor, Caspi, and Moffitt (2009) found in their study that children who witnessed domestic violence had a higher risk of becoming bullies. Parents do not always understand the impact of their actions on their children and may believe that their violence will have no impact. However, it is clear that parents' actions within the home are important factors when it comes to what a child believes is right or wrong. Seeing domestic violence in the home is a big problem, as is parental attachment and how the parent acts towards the child. as in the case where they often show anger or love. Referring to general strain theory, Agnew (1992) states that “delinquency is more likely when the adolescent is not attached to parents, school, or other institutions or when parents or others fail to effectively monitor and sanction the deviance” (p. 49). Neglecting a child or not showing affection or positive emotions is considered a form of psychological abuse. Messman-Moore and Coates (2007) found that children who experience psychological abuse may cope with the situation by being more controlling, dictating, or insensitive. They may also respond to abuse with distrust or abuse of others. Shetgiri et al. (2012) stated that parents' perception of anger and the way they act towards their child are associated with a greater likelihood of the child becoming a bully. In other words, having a constantly angry parent can cause a child to become a bully due to low feelings of acceptance and love.Furthermore, Shetgiri et al. (2012) went on to state that children of parents who were often angry with their children and often felt that their child annoyed them a lot were more than twice as likely to become a bully. To tie this back to general strain theory, Agnew (1992) explains that a child who is treated unfairly by his parents is more likely to do the same to his peers. It is clear that children are often brought into the world "by chance" and it is sad when a parent does not want their child and demonstrates this with continuous psychological abuse. Adolescence is an extremely important time in a child's life and warmth and care are needed for a child to grow up with the right emotions and have the right thought processes instilled in the brain. Parents are the behavioral models for a child and it is important that they promote positive reinforcement so that the child understands the right way to behave. In addition to parental warmth and psychological abuse, physical abuse is another major factor when it comes to teen bullying. Patterson (2005) found that when a child is physically abused it could cause problems within them, such as depression or anger. Espelage, Bosworth, and Simon (2000) noted that physical discipline within the family was significantly related to bullying. Espelage et al. (2000) also found that students who said they would be physically disciplined if they broke a rule at home were more likely to participate in bullying. According to Patterson (2005), long-term repeated abuse can be a chronic stressor that causes a lot of strain on a child and can lead to him or her becoming a bully. For example, a child who is constantly spanked may become angry and violent towards other children. Child abuse and neglect impact the general theory of stress because the negative emotions caused in the child by abuse lead to delinquency and aggression (Agnew, 1992). Experiencing physical abuse can lead a child to think that the abuse is normal or a way to get to someone. Physical abuse can have a huge mental impact on a child and can push them into a deviant life (Bowes et al. (2009). Stacks, Oshio, Gerard, and Roe (2009) argue that childhood punishment is associated with negative behaviors from part of a child. child, which can lead to being antisocial or more aggressive and that the child is more likely to have worsening mental health due to the abuse , Wekerle, Adlaf, and Rehm (2010) because the study focused on abuse and children who were more likely to become bullies. Mohapatra et al (2010) found that children who did not have an intact family or who had family involvement. family with Child Protective Services (CPS) may become a bully. The fact that Child Protective Services is involved within a family usually indicates that there has been some form of abuse or neglect against one. or more children. Physical abuse is an important element should never be left unnoticed as one of the main aspects that lead children to aggressive lifestyles. Relationship Between General Strain Theory and Data In this article, general strain theory was shown to have a relationship with the delinquent crime of bullying. Data is an important factor when testing whether staining and bullying are related. “A scientific theory must be verifiable by objective and repeatable tests. If a theory cannot be tested against empirical results, it has no scientific value. It is not.
tags