Contemporary Criminal Justice: Traditional bullying, cyber bullying, and deviance A general strain theory approach

Summary: CCJ May 2010: Agnew's general strain theory (GST) has received significant empirical attention, but important issues remain unresolved. This study addresses three such issues. First, we examine the effects of bullying-a source of strain that may be consequential, but that has been neglected in GST research to date. Second, drawing from recent research on deliberate self-harm among adolescents, we examine the effects of bullying not just on externalizing deviance (aggressive acts committed against others and their property), but also, on internalizing deviance directed against the self. Third, we examine these relationships separately for males and females to assess sex differences in responses to strain. These three issues are examined with self-report data collected from a sample of middle and high school students in a southeastern state. The analysis reveals that bullying is consequential for both externalizing and internalizing forms of deviance and that these relationships are in some instances moderated by sex.