![Sample our Law journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5942/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Law.jpg"})
Abstract
This study examines Broidy and Agnew’s propositions that gender disparity in crime may be due to (1) male and females’ experience of distinct emotional reactions to strain and (2) male and females’ response to these emotional reactions with distinct levels of offending. Using a vignette study design with measures spanning a broad range of state emotions and conditioning variables, this study adds to the range of emotion and conditioning variables currently considered in the GST literature, providing a particularly robust test of GST. As expected, results indicate females experience more complex emotional responses to strain, and males are more likely to respond to equivalent types of state negative emotion with intentions to offend. Differences in criminal propensities are largely explained by variables outlined as important GST moderators. Variations by vignette and emotion reveal a more complex relationship between gender, emotion and offending than previously demonstrated.
Keywords:
Notes
1 We recognize that the data may be seen as “old” but the very nature of the study allows us to examine the role of state emotion in general strain theory, which has not, to our knowledge, been the subject of much scientific inquiry. Our findings, from this original data collection effort, can also help inform future studies wanting to evaluate Agnew’s theory with vignettes and/or college sample.
2 Given these data were collected in 2006, we examined current demographics of the institution and found the percentage of African Americans remained the same, but White and Asian decreased by 15 and 5% respectively. while the population of Hispanic students increased to 7%. There was also an increase in the percentage of foreign nationals. It is important to note, however, that the data are representative of the institution demographics at time of collection.