PRESSURED INTO CRIME: An Introduction to General Strain Theory by Robert Agnew (Emory College). The book is 204 pages, softbound, copyright © 2006.

This brief book provides an overview of general strain theory (GST), one of the leading explanations of crime and delinquency, developed by author Robert Agnew. Written to be student-friendly, PRESSURED INTO CRIME features numerous real-world examples, insightful and colorful quotes from former and active criminals, clear summaries of major points, and challenging review and discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

This book provides the following:

• It compares and contrasts GST to other leading theories of crime, including biopsychological, control, social learning, routine activities, and social disorganization theories (presenting brief descriptions of these theories).
• It describes the evidence on GST, including the most current research on the types of strains most likely to cause crime, why these strains cause crime, and the factors that influence the effects of strains on crime.
• It employs GST to explain patterns of offending over the life course as well as age, gender, class, and race/ethnic differences in offending.
• It uses GST to explain community and societal differences in crime rates.
• It draws on GST to make recommendations for reducing crime.
• It revises and extends GST to take into account the latest research findings.

PRESSURED INTO CRIME allows students to explore this major theory in depth—reviewing the research on the theory, comparing it to other theories, and applying the theory to key issues in the study of crime.