in part, the strain caused by not achieving the goals set by communities (be it economic success or achieving status and respect, etc) causes stress on the individual to commit crimes in an attempt to achieve these goals.The second aspect of Agnews GST is the loss or potential loss of positive stimuli. This stressor involves the loss of the opportunity to freely engage in a range of valued behaviors (Broidy; Agnew, 1997), such as the loss of romantic partners or friends. In other words, the ability (or lack-there-of) of an individual to deal with stressful events in life can produce deviant feelings and behavior.Agnews last strain producer, the presentation of negative stimuli, refers to such things as child abuse, negative experiences at school, homelessness, and poor association with peers.Agnew suggests that crime isnt the only approach people will use in their response to strain. According to Agnew, there are 3 types of strategies, apart from crime, that people can utilize to deal with stress and strain through legitimate means. He says that cognitive, emotional, and behavioral coping strategies can be used to reduce strain in a persons life (Broidy; Agnew, 1997).Cognitive strategies allow the person to decipher stress in a different way. A person can reduce the significance of the strain, or maximize the favorable and at the same time minimize undesirable outcomes, or acknowledge accountability for the adverse outcomes (Agnew, 1992). Emotional strategies require the person to center on eliminating the damaging feelings rather than attempting to change the event through such means as, physical activity, and relaxation methods (Agnew, 1992).In order to reduce the strain that has resulted, a person may also utilize behavioral coping strategies. A person could look for constructive motivation or try to elude adverse stimuli (Agnew, 1992).To provide support for these strategies, additional community support is needed. The objec...
