ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how General Strain Theory (GST) the higher rate of male crime. It also examines how GST might explain the causes of female crime. The chapter discusses whether GST is equally applicable to males and females. General Strain Theory identifies three major sources of strain: the failure to achieve positively valued goals, the loss of positively valued stimuli, and the presentation of negative stimuli. As numerous commentators have pointed out, not all strained individuals turn to crime. This is especially true of females. Females experience as much or more strain than do males but are less likely to engage in crime—especially serious crime. As indicated, a central question in the feminist literature is whether the same theories can explain both male and female crime. At a general level, it would appear that GST is applicable to the explanation of male and female crime.
