This means that through interactions with others, individuals learn the motives, techniques, attitudes, and values for criminal behavior. This theory included nine principles. The most fascinating principle is the first: criminal behavior is learned. Being one of the first to state that criminal behavior is the outcome of normal social processes, resulting when individual associate with the wrong type of people, through no fault of their own. This means that even if the wrong type of people are parents or peers, an individual will necessarily choose to take part in criminal behavior because this is only what they have …show more content…
Other strain theories rely on assumptions about the frustrations arising when people realize that the American Dream is a false promise of those of the lower classes. Rather, the theoretical framework of this theory assumes that people of all social classes and economic positions deal with frustrations in daily life. General strain theory and previous strain theories focus on individuals failure to achieve positively valued goals that they had been socialized to work to obtain, but general strain theory identifies two additional categories of strain. Those two categories are presentation of noxious stimuli and removal of positively valued stimuli. The presentation of noxious stimuli (or bad things) in a person’s life can cause major stress and frustration. An example of noxious stimuli is a critical teacher. The removal of positive valued stimuli is likely the largest cause of frustration. An example of positive valued stimuli is the loss of a good job. Basically, the general strain theory proposes that these three categories of strain will lead to stress and that this results in a propensity to feel anger (Tibbetts,